


The Sun and the Moon

by MisatosPenPen



Series: The Sun and the Moon [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, M/M, Oral Sex, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 09:20:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1852780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisatosPenPen/pseuds/MisatosPenPen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Uchiha brothers return to Konoha and each find the loves of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sasuke and Kakashi

Itachi’s fight with Sasuke did not go according to plan. It ended with Sasuke hauling his barely alive brother back to Konoha, begging them to save him with his sword drawn to defend his brother to the death from any who approached them without the express desire to save him. His three teammates also stood to protect their leader and his fallen brother as night deepened around them.  
  
Luckily, Kakashi’s team arrived just behind them with Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Yamato. Sasuke drew an extra kunai to protect his brother.  
  
“Sasuke, Sakura’s a medical-nin, let her help,” Kakashi said.  
  
Sasuke nodded and Sakura approached. Karin had given Itachi her chakra, but his illness was beyond her abilities.  
  
“Sakura,” Sasuke said when she knelt beside Itachi, “if you harm my brother, I’ll gut you right here.”  
  
She was shocked, but nodded and attended to her patient. Sasuke turned to Kakashi. “Listen to me, Kakashi.” It was the most desperate they ever heard Sasuke, probably the first and last time they heard him plea for anything. Kakashi nodded to him. “Get everyone else away; I’ll speak to you alone.”  
  
Kakashi nodded again and ordered everyone away. Naruto was harder to persuade. “If you want Sasuke to stay, obey even his smallest whim at this point. Go.”  
  
Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo kept an eye on Itachi and Sakura while Sasuke stood apart and repeated the same story Itachi told him to Kakashi and then told him why he believed him. Kakashi couldn’t believe him however.  
  
“You ask the elders!” Sasuke yelled at him, pointing towards the Hokage tower. “See if they deny it with Itachi alive!” Kakashi never knew Sasuke to gesticulate this much as Sasuke pointed down emphatically. “If they deny it, I’ll take my brother and abandon this village for good! We’ll see what villages want to harbor the last true Sharingans!”  
  
“Calm down, Sasuke. I’ll talk to the elders. You need to get your brother out of the night air. Let me have Yamato make you a place to stay here just outside the village walls. You can defend your brother there and Sakura can care for him.”  
  
“I will not wait forever.”  
  
“Give me three days to persuade them.”  
  
“Three days. And keep everyone away.”  
  
“Hai. Stay at your brother’s side, Sasuke.” Kakashi turned and called for Yamato, gave instructions, and ran off to find the elders.  
  
Sasuke got much more than he anticipated with Yamato’s house, with four rooms, it was far more than Sasuke needed or wanted; he needed only one room to watch and guard his brother. Suigetsu took up watch outside. Sakura worked by the light of the few candles they had with them. Sasuke sat by, looking for all the world like he was half asleep and didn’t care what was happening to his brother. Sakura was a little perplexed by the whole situation, but she repaired Itachi’s lungs to the best of her ability. Sasuke ordered Karen and Juugo to rest.  
  
It was after three in the morning when Naruto approached the house. Suigetsu readied his sword.  
  
“Sasuke said no one but the lazy looking Cyclops was to approach.”  
  
“I brought food, water, medical supplies, lanterns, and some bedrolls,” Naruto offered meekly. When Suigetsu still didn’t back down, “Come on, Sasuke’s my best friend.”  
  
Sasuke appeared at the door. “Suigetsu, let him through.” Naruto smiled and walked toward Sasuke. Sasuke stopped him. “If you so much as think of harming Itachi, or anyone else, I will kill you without hesitation.”  
  
“Hai. Sas—” Naruto started, but Sasuke was returning to his brother’s side.  
  
Sasuke sat down, cross-legged, eyes closed, ignoring everything, but he concentrating on his brother’s breathing; it was improving. Naruto laid everything out and brought the medical supplies to Sakura. He felt Sasuke watching him when he was near Itachi. The eye contact they made was merely threatening. Naruto feared Sasuke really felt nothing for him anymore.  
  
Karen and Juugo were woken by Naruto’s entrance and sat nearby, ready if needed.  
  
Naruto looked down at Itachi. He really did look like Sasuke, but he looked inherently kinder to him—probably because he was asleep from drugs or weakness. Even after all Itachi had put them through—including trying to capture him—Naruto pitied him.  
  
“Will he be alright, Sakura-chan?”  
  
“I think so. Tsunade will probably have to treat him for him to survive, but I can keep him alive. His lungs keep hemorrhaging. Without treatment, he would have drowned in his own blood. I can’t cure him, but she may be able to do it.”  
  
Naruto looked up at Sasuke. He was no longer looking at Naruto, but at Itachi. Sasuke was truly worried. “Eh, Sasuke.”  
  
“If you’ve finished, leave, Naruto.”  
  
“What’s happened, Sasuke? Why . . .” _Why didn’t you kill him?_ sounded like something that would get Naruto killed at the moment. “Why did you bring Itachi here?”  
  
“Get out, Naruto.”  
  
Karin stood up, she and Juugo edged closer ready to forcibly remove him from the room.  
  
“Hey, hey,” Naruto said as he stood up. “You still the same, teme. I’ll go.” He looked down at Itachi again. He would never understand these damn Uchiha. “It’s good to see you again, teme. I won’t let you get away this time.”  
  
“We’ll see.” Naruto was passing through the door when he heard Sasuke add, “Dobe.”  
  
Naruto stopped and looked back at Sasuke, but Sasuke’s eyes were closed again. Naruto smiled and left.  
  
\-----  
  
It took four hours to make the elders admit the truth; another two days to convince the elders fess up to it publicly and take Sasuke and Itachi in. Kakashi was emitted into the small house. Sasuke looked like he hadn’t moved while the others had clearly used their bedrolls. Sakura was resting near Itachi. From the remnants of food and water near Itachi, it was apparent he had been awake and able to eat in the interim. But there were also blood stained handkerchiefs; Itachi might not quite be on death’s door, but he was far from well.  
  
“Sasuke, the elders caved. Your threat of leaving Konoha permanently scared them, but that you might spread the truth yourself here in Konoha and in the other nations was too much. Don’t say I don’t have your back, Sasuke-kun.”  
  
Sasuke bowed his head in relief. “I’m grateful to you, Kakashi.”  
  
“If you trust Konoha’s word, we can take Itachi to the Hokage; she’s still the most skilled medical-nin. If he can be healed, she can do it.”  
  
“Arigato. Juugo, carry Itachi. Any double cross, Kakashi, and you’ll all die.”  
  
“Understood, Sasuke-kun.”  
  
“Hn.”  
  
Tsunade, still angry at being in the dark concerning the truth of the entire Uchiha situation, put her all into saving the elder Uchiha. Sasuke still would not leave Itachi’s side and Sasuke’s team would not leave Sasuke’s. She kept Itachi asleep as she worked.  
  
“I think he’ll live and make a full recovery,” she told Sasuke after six hours. “I can’t guarantee anything right now, but I’ve stopped all the hemorrhaging. If he survives the week, he’ll live.”  
  
Sasuke seemed to deflate with relief, nearly losing consciousness, he was so tired. He’d fought Itachi briefly until he realized how sick Itachi was, heard the truth from him, had to help his own team fight Kisame off in order to take Itachi away, run to Konoha, and remain on watch next to his brother. Sasuke had stayed awake for nearly five days with only meditation serving as sleep. He also awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan during the emotional turmoil of Itachi telling him the truth—that in itself was draining.  
  
“Will you wake him now?” Sasuke asked.  
  
“No. You need to sleep too,” she said. “I’ll sedate you if you don’t sleep now.”  
  
“Just give me a bed roll.”  
  
“Your brother will be safe here, I guarantee it. You can kill me, become Hokage, and destroy the village if anything happens to him. You couldn’t defend him in your condition anyway. Kakashi, take the four of them to the ANBU barracks here in the tower.”  
  
Sasuke was staring at his brother’s face and wouldn’t try to stand.  
  
“Tsunade-sama,” Kakashi said, “let Sasuke stay here. I’ll bring him a cot.”  
  
“Fine,” she relented, “but if you don’t sleep, I will sedate you. You three,” she said pointing to the non-Konoha shinobi, “will sleep in the barracks.”  
  
“Thank you, Kakashi,” Sasuke said in a tired voice.  
  
Kakashi led the others out and returned with the cot. Sasuke fell into it. He gave Itachi’s face one more look and lost consciousness.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke felt a presence and opened his eyes. Seeing a face above right above his, he punched it before he could recognize it. He sat up to hear his brother laughing and Naruto holding his nose and swearing.  
  
“What the fuck?!” Sasuke demanded. Itachi had to force himself to stop laughing when he started coughing, but it wasn’t bad.  
  
“Why’d you hit me?” Naruto asked.  
  
“Why were you hovering over me?”  
  
“I was trying to see if you were alive. You haven’t moved in a day.”  
  
Itachi was still laughing, but not as heartily to avoid another bout of coughing.  
  
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Aniki.”  
  
“Very much so,” Itachi sighed.  
  
Naruto looked up in time to see Sasuke looking adoringly at his older brother, smiling at him. Naruto felt . . . jealous. He’d done so much to try and save Sasuke, but he was hardly aware of Naruto’s presence and he wasn’t smiling at him. He couldn’t even think of a time when Sasuke ever did smile at him fondly like that.  
  
Sasuke turned to Naruto. “What are you doing here, dobe?”  
  
“Baa-chan told me the truth. I was worried about you. I’m glad you’re home.”  
  
“Hn. I just want my brother to be safe.”  
  
Now it was Itachi who caught Naruto’s attention. The look on his face was so adoring that it sent a warm spark up his spine. Now he was jealous of Sasuke being at the receiving end of a look.  
  
“My team,” Sasuke said, “are they well?”  
  
“Suigetsu drinks like a fish, Karin’s bossing everyone around, and Juugo just sits there with birds flying around him.”  
  
“All is well with them then.”  
  
“Baa-chan wants you to remain hidden for a while until the village accepts the truth, then you can go out. But she said Itachi needs to stay here close to her and Shizune or in the hospital for a while to make sure he recovers. You can rest now.”  
  
“No,” Itachi said, surprising them both. “Sasuke, you and Naruto are the only ones who can defeat Madara. You need to put together a strong team to back you up and go after the rest of Akatsuki. I’ll give all the intel I have. You must wipe them out.”  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke still refused to leave his brother alone, insisting on sleeping in the cot Kakashi had brought for him. Planning for the assault on Akatsuki was being held in the Hokage tower, so he never left the building. But Naruto was able to persuade him to come up to the roof to get some sun. It also let Tsunade have a few private moments with Itachi.  
  
First off, she apologized for everything the village had put him through and trying to kill or capture him when he was really their spy in Akatsuki, sending information to Jiraiya—even though Jiraiya didn’t even know where it was coming from. Itachi accepted the apology.  
  
“I’ll debrief you fully once you’re a bit healthier but I wanted to go over your health.” She detailed what was wrong with him, the treatment, and prognosis. But then she grew nervous. “I gave you a thorough examination after your brother finally fell asleep. Ah, the wound on your shoulder and evidence of . . .” She was blushing slightly.  
  
“I think I know what you’re trying to ask; I wasn’t raped.”  
  
Tsunade let a relieved breath. “That was a hard thing to ask.”  
  
“It was consensual. But no one needs to know about it.”  
  
“Agreed. I just needed to know in case you needed or wanted counseling . . . or something.”  
  
Itachi actually enjoyed seeing the Hokage and one of the legendary sanin stammer. “Thank you, but I’m fine. If I needed counseling, that would be the last thing I’d need it for.”  
  
Tsunade nodded. “About that: the village put you both through a lot, if you do want to speak with someone, I’ll let you two yell at me or you can talk to Inochi as he is trained in psychology, or Kakashi, a friend.”  
  
“Honestly, I might need that, but not at the moment. I hope Sasuke will scream at me for a few minutes and talk to someone. I’ll break down eventually and I’ll take you up on your offer when that happens.”  
  
“Ah.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi was injured and ill, but not so much that he couldn’t walk—though Sasuke had slashed his left thigh pretty deeply. The inflictor of the wound helped him walk to the war room and sat him nearest the door and sat next to him so that he could take Itachi back to bed if he grew too tired. Itachi was stronger—and too stubborn—for that and stayed through the entire daylong meetings, staying even during lunch so he wouldn’t wear himself out walking back and forth. With his knowledge of Akatsuki, he was a very active participant in the planning. Sasuke had nothing to contribute and just supported his brother.  
  
After the second meeting, Sasuke helped Itachi down the corridor to their room with Kakashi following. Kakashi had taken it upon himself to serve a guard both for and against the Uchiha brothers if needs be. He stayed in the doorway as Sasuke made sure his brother was comfortably in bed.  
  
“Forgive me, Itachi, but Sasuke, can I have a private word with you?” Kakashi asked.  
  
Sasuke gave him an annoyed look, but followed him to another room. Kakashi opened the door for Sasuke into an empty meditation room.  
  
Sasuke entered and stood looking out over the village from just inside the open balcony. Night had fallen hours ago, but the village was a second sea of stars. He really couldn’t say he was glad to be home, but he felt content. This was the only home he’d ever known. With Orochimaru he’d gone from hideout to hideout, never staying in one place long enough to call it home. That last one in the forest was the closest to a home he’d had as it was the first hideout and the last as well as serving as home two other times over the three years he was with the snake. To be able to call one place home again . . . And with his brother. A small, wistful smile lit his face, but was gone before he turned to look at Kakashi who’d shut the door behind them.  
  
“What do you want?” Sasuke asked. He inwardly winced at how unfriendly that sounded. He owed Kakashi a lot for his help and support these last few days.  
  
“I wanted to clear the air.” Sasuke didn’t hide his confusion. “We’ll be working together as least on this mission and you’ll probably be put on my team again, at least for a while, to get you back into the habit of working in a Konoha unit again. I want to clear up any bad blood between us.”  
  
Sasuke’s eyebrows shot up, still confused. But then he realized that Kakashi must resent him for leaving the village and trying to kill Naruto. No doubt Kakashi took his departure personally after Kakashi had given him that speech about revenge and telling Sasuke some very personal information the night Sasuke ran off to Orochimaru. Before he could even compose an apology, Kakashi spoke.  
  
“I’m so very sorry for leaving you alone that night. I knew your emotional state and if I had stayed with you or even taken you with me, those four would not have been able to convince you to leave. I would have continued to follow you after I found Naruto, but the rain had washed away your scent and footprints. I’ve blamed myself for the past three years. Naruto was taken as a student by Jiraiya and Sakura chose to become Tsunade’s apprentice. I could have taken on another genin team, but I couldn’t; I failed so horribly with you; I could have been more nurturing and supportive. I feel that I could have either done more to convince you to give up on revenge or given you more of what you wanted so you wouldn’t have felt you needed Orochimaru’s help. I blame myself for everything that happened. Please forgive me.”  
  
Sasuke was stunned. He hadn’t considered any of that. “Kakashi, you didn’t fail to convince me that night. If given a few more hours to think about it, I would have given up on revenge. You had no idea that they were in the village. I was still weak and the missions at that time were important, you couldn’t have abandoned it or taken me with you. You’re not to blame. I never blamed you. I made up my mind and I would have fought you had you come after me. And as far as I’m concerned, no other outcome could have been better than this: I have my brother back and we’re home.  
  
“I should be the one apologizing to you. I shouldn’t have left, I shouldn’t have taken what you taught me and used it against my comrade. I am sorry you’ve felt this way for three years. I give you all the forgiveness you ask because I hold no ill will toward you at all. Can you forgive me for what I did?”  
  
“Of course. You were a kid and had very strong reasons.”  
  
“You were like a father to me and I appreciated everything you did and taught me even if I sounded ungrateful that night.”  
  
“I considered you a son. I don’t think it’s a secret that you were always my favorite.”  
  
Sasuke smiled. “Then everything is good between us. I look forward to fighting alongside you again.”  
  
  
“I look forward to that as well, as equals this time. Goodnight, Sasuke-kun.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi was put in the hospital under special care and security while most of the powerful shinobi of Konoha, along with allies from Suna, went after Akatsuki. With Sasuke and Naruto at the forefront, Konoha was able to destroy Akatsuki.  
  
The first thing Sasuke did when he got home, was go to his brother’s side. Itachi not only would live, but make a full recovery. With that news after putting an end to Akatsuki, Sasuke broke down in tears. He cried on Itachi’s shoulder as Itachi sat up in his hospital bed.  
  
Itachi loved having his little brother in his arms again. He put an arm around his back and his other hand in Sasuke’s hair. It was still like it was when they were children. Itachi couldn’t help but cry as well. They were home and they were together. He wasn’t such a fool that he believed things could be as they once were, but they could be a family again.  
  
Sasuke didn’t leave that night, he curled up against his brother’s side in the small hospital bed and Itachi could see the little boy Sasuke had once been in his sleeping face. No matter how much Sasuke may have changed, he was still his little brother.  
  
The next day, Sasuke refused to leave the hospital room, refused to join the celebration at the destruction of Akatsuki. He stayed with his brother. Anyway, he had something important to talk to him about, but it was difficult subject for him to broach.  
  
“Itachi . . . I think I’m love.”  
  
“Good, I’m happy for you! Who is it?”  
  
“That’s just it. I don’t think you’ll approve.”  
  
“Honestly, I don’t think I deserve to approve or disapprove of anything about your life. And I don’t really know anyone in the village anymore to be able to have an opinion.”  
  
“You do in this case.”  
  
Itachi’s eyebrows went up. There was only one person in Sasuke’s age group that Itachi knew: Naruto. As for those who were from Itachi’s time in Konoha . . . That was also a short list and almost entirely male. “Who?”  
  
“Hatake Kakashi.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“I’m in love with Kakashi.”  
  
“Whoa. I just wish it was someone who’d give me some nieces and nephews.”  
  
“You’re not disgusted or disappointed?”  
  
“Besides not getting an extended family . . . I’d be a hypocrite if I was.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Itachi smiled softly. “I’m gay too.”  
  
“So no nieces or nephews for me either.” Sasuke smiled in relief that Itachi wasn’t disappointed or disgusted with him.  
  
“We could always pay a surrogate. But for the immediate future, no. I do want kids though. You were so adorable. I wish I had more time to spend with you and that I didn’t miss so much of your childhood. I want to find someone permanent before I consider children.”  
  
“I’m too young; I want to wait.”  
  
“When the time comes, Kakashi should retire and stay with the kids.”  
  
“Ah.”  
  
Itachi gestured for Sasuke to come closer. Sasuke did, but stopped short remembering that gesture usually meant he was about to get a poke to the forehead.  
  
“Gun-shy, Otouto?” He sat up a little more to pull Sasuke into his arms. Once there, Itachi did playfully poke him in the forehead. “I love you, Otouto.”  
  
“I love you, Aniki.”  
  
\-----  
  
Despite Itachi’s positive diagnosis, Sasuke still insisted on visiting his brother every day. After helping Konoha finish off their worst enemy at the moment and coming home after such a long, emotionally trying few years—not to mention Orochimaru—Sasuke was allowed to rest and settle back into village life before going back on missions. But he spent an enormous amount of time with his brother in the hospital.  
  
Naruto had to go to Itachi’s hospital room to see Sasuke most of the time; sometimes he would arrive before the younger Uchiha and sometimes after he’d already left. He was uncomfortable around the elder at first—the man had tried to kidnap him, attacked his best friend right in front of him, put him in a painful genjutsu . . . So, of course, he had some trouble standing in the man’s hospital room, especially without Sasuke there.  
  
But he didn’t want Itachi thinking he only cared about Sasuke and the only reason he came was to see him—it was the truth, but it seemed rude. So Naruto would ask Itachi how he was feeling and sometimes end up talking. Itachi mostly wanted to talk about Sasuke, or rather hear about him from Naruto; Naruto was glad to oblige. And he liked hearing what Sasuke was like as a kid when Itachi felt like talking that much. Naruto was starting to like spending time with Itachi.  
  
When Sasuke wasn’t with Itachi or Naruto, he was with Kakashi. It was clear to everyone they had become close, but no one suspected how close. During the battle against Akatsuki, the two Chidori/Sharingan users took the fore as a pair. They were all that was needed in some engagements. Naruto was always nearby too, but Sasuke and Kakashi just worked so well together with their similar abilities.  
  
Kakashi started it by staring at Sasuke whenever they weren’t fighting off members of Akatsuki, the Zetzu clones, or Kabuto’s undead—which was a sudden surprise Konoha had not been prepared for. Sasuke of course noticed Kakashi’s attention. He surprised himself by not minding. Kakashi knew Sasuke could feel him watching and since his only response was amused eyes back, Kakashi kept staring. And those stares were becoming more heated. He let his imagination run wild since Sasuke did nothing to stop his increasingly lustful stares. He didn’t need to imagine Sasuke naked since he saw it when they washed up in rivers or any other reasonably clean water they came across, but he did have to imagine that body in certain poses.  
  
After four days, Sasuke was looking back. Sasuke had to use his imagination as he hadn’t seen Kakashi’s abdomen and chest in three years and had never seen his face. He asked himself whether Kakashi’s face would make a difference to him. He was looking at Kakashi when he remembered the different features Naruto suggested Kakashi might have and started laughing. Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at first, but he was so in love with Sasuke’s smiling face and his laugh that he didn’t care if Sasuke was laughing at him or not. He knew then that they would get together: Sasuke never so much as smiled at anyone else but Itachi. He saw something in that moment no one else—except Itachi—would ever see.  
  
Kakashi took the first moment they weren’t being looked at to put an arm around Sasuke’s waist. He thought his heart would explode when Sasuke pressed back into him and made no move to remove his arm—from his waist or from Kakashi’s body. For the first time in his life—as far as he could remember—he cursed his mask, the cloth preventing him from pressing his bare lips to that smooth, sable hair. He couldn’t wait until they got home and all that would follow. As a shinobi, he knew life was short, he didn’t want a long courtship, he wanted Sasuke now. He was in love. He couldn’t look at Sasuke since he suddenly became an adult and not have those paternal feelings shift to something deeper. He last saw him as an emotionally suffering thirteen year old and now he reappeared as a hot sixteen year old.  
  
Of course, when they got home, Sasuke went immediately to his brother’s side. Kakashi knew that no matter what, he’d always be Sasuke’s number two. Kakashi went home, took a shower, and lay on his bed. When would he see Sasuke again? Would it seem desperate to seek him out tonight? Tomorrow? Sasuke would probably spend the rest of the night with his brother. Maybe he should get them food and take it to them so they could have something other than hospital food. And he could see Sasuke. Kakashi swore; he was becoming a fourteen year old girl! He was turning into Sakura! But he didn’t care.  
  
He stayed home and waited. Sasuke didn’t come to him that night. The next morning he was wondering if he should go to Itachi’s hospital room. Should he go to Sasuke’s temporary room in the Hokage tower?  
  
He kept thinking about how to see Sasuke until late morning when a hawk landed on his window sill and screeched at him. Kakashi took the note from the bird’s leg.  
  
‘Have dinner with me? I don’t know where to go anymore and I don’t want to go to a party. I’m with Itachi, come meet me here.’  
  
Kakashi didn’t need a signature to know who sent the note. “I’ll come,” Kakashi told the hawk.  
  
When Kakashi went to pick up Sasuke, he saw that the window of Itachi’s room was open and chose to appear there. “Yo!”  
  
Sasuke tried to look annoyed, but he was too amused and happy to see him. Itachi managed a more convincing annoyed look.  
  
“You never did like doors,” Itachi said.  
  
“You knew each other?” Sasuke asked, surprised by his brother’s comment.  
  
“ANBU,” they said together.  
  
“I tried to take _Itachi-tan_ under my wing because I knew your cousin Obito.”  
  
“I didn’t want to get close to anyone because of my situation as a double agent, so I didn’t let him ‘take me under his wing,’” Itachi said. “Calling me _Itachi-tan_ didn’t endure him to me either.”  
  
“He bucked me off,” Kakashi simplified. “I took him for a loner. I didn’t see a reason to tell you because there wasn’t anything to tell except that I knew him in passing.”  
  
Sasuke shrugged. “You’re right; there was no reason to mention it. We’re going to dinner then?”  
  
“Anything you want. We can bring something for you, Itachi- _san_.”  
  
“No, you two enjoy your time together.”  
  
Kakashi’s eyebrows went up. Was he suggesting what he thought he was suggesting? Did Sasuke say something? Sasuke smiled at him then jumped out the window past him. Kakashi saluted Itachi and fell back to join Sasuke on the ground.  
  
“What was that about?” Kakashi asked.  
  
“I may have jumped the gun,” Sasuke said. “I asked him what he would think about us.”  
  
“Us?”  
  
“Us.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“He approves. Or, I should say, he doesn’t disapprove.”  
  
“Of what exactly?” Kakashi asked coyly.  
  
Sasuke stopped and looked at him with mischievous eyes. “The fact I would yank that mask down right now and kiss you senseless if there weren’t witnesses.”  
  
“I dare you.”  
  
“And risk anyone else seeing your face? Not a chance. I intend to be the only one. I still haven’t seen it, by the way.”  
  
“Come over after we eat and I’ll remedy that.”  
  
“Hmmm.”  
  
Sure enough, well fed, they went back to Kakashi’s apartment. Once the door shut, Kakashi took off his headband and slowly pulled his mask down. Sasuke smiled, visibly relieved.  
  
“I had resigned myself to buck teeth and poufy lips.”  
  
“Huh?” Kakashi asked with a laugh.  
  
“When I laughed the other day while looking at you, I was remembering that little incident when we were trying to see your face. Naruto seduced me into that plot by suggesting you had some . . . disturbing features. But even if you did look like a beaver-faced fish, I’d still love you.”  
  
Kakashi smiled and pulled Sasuke to him and kissed him. They both melted, feeling like everything was finally right with the world and feeling a gentle spark of arousal in their spines. The kiss was brief, but fulfilling. “I love you. I thought about you all night. Forgive me if I become as annoying as Sakura.”  
  
“I might act the same.”  
  
Kakashi put his hands on Sasuke’s waist. “I want you to act more ‘annoying.’ I wouldn’t mind if you attached yourself to me. I love you.”  
  
They kissed there against the door until Kakashi guided Sasuke to his bed. They sat on the bed and made out. Eventually, they parted their swollen lips.  
  
“I don’t want to go any further now,” Sasuke said.  
  
“That might be a little too fast,” Kakashi agreed. “Stay here for a while though, just stay here.”  
  
“My lips are chapped.”  
  
Kakashi pulled himself back to the wall and pulled Sasuke to his chest and held him.  
  
“Hn. I’m getting a lot of cuddling recently.”  
  
“You deserve it.”  
  
Sasuke lay silently against Kakashi’s chest for a minute. “You never told me you were friends with a member of my family.”  
  
“I guess I never did tell you how I got this eye,” Kakashi agreed.  
  
“If you remember, I did ask.”  
  
“I wasn’t prepared to reveal so much of my personal history to you at the time. I don’t talk about my past with anyone, but I should tell you now.”  
  
“You don’t have to do it now.”  
  
“It’s an excuse to keep you here for another hour, so I’m willing. It’s not a happy story though.”  
  
“I’m guessing that’s Obito’s eye.”  
  
“Ah. In telling that story, I’ll have to tell you about my father.”  
  
Sasuke lay there in Kakashi’s arms while Kakashi told his story without moving or interrupting him. Now he knew just how alike he and Kakashi were as children: they were both orphans, too serious for their own good, talented, and arrogant. Sasuke shifted to straddle Kakashi’s thighs and just rested his forehead against Kakashi’s with a hand on his shoulder, the other against his neck. It was a simple and accepting gesture of sympathy and comfort. Kakashi could almost weep, not at his own past, but at Sasuke’s reaction to it. He loved him so much. Kakashi reached up to play his fingers in Sasuke’s silky hair.  
  
Kakashi didn’t have to tell him that Rin had eventually also died and he knew that Minato had died the night Naruto was born when Sasuke was less than three months old. Kakashi was alone in the world. He had friends, but he was close to none of them; Sasuke had been close enough to Kakashi to know that three years ago and was sure nothing had changed.  
  
Sasuke moved again to draw Kakashi into a hug. Kakashi thought he was too hardened a shinobi to cry, too used to the pain and he had already come to terms with it all. But he cried against Sasuke’s shoulder. He couldn’t cry against Rin’s shoulder after Obito died, nor could he let himself break down in front of Minato. Kushina was concerned for her boyfriend’s student after Obito and Rin’s deaths, but Kakashi wouldn’t let her close enough. Then Minato and Kushina died too. He had no one to comfort him, no family and he resisted closeness with friends. Everyone he cared about died. But Sasuke understood what it felt like. Sasuke wasn’t as fragile as two young teens and he had survived as much as a rampaging chakra beast. Sasuke wouldn’t die on him so easily. Sasuke was a kindred spirit. Sasuke understood.  
  
Sasuke finally spoke after Kakashi finished crying. “I love you.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi’s lungs were still recovering from being ravaged by the disease, but otherwise he’d recovered. He was sent home with Sasuke to a new house on the edge of the village. Sasuke started going out on missions—grudgingly—during his brother’s last few days in the hospital, but he refused to leave the other’s side for the first few days having him home. Again—more so now—Naruto had to see Itachi if he wanted to see Sasuke apart from missions. Especially since when he wasn’t on missions or with his brother, Sasuke was with Kakashi.  
  
Sasuke settled back into Team Kakashi with relative ease. He was still taciturn, but he’d never been very garrulous. When they were on missions with Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi never did anything to suggest their relationship was anything more than captain and subordinate.  
  
But Kakashi grew adapt at staring at Sasuke without the others noticing. He loved his fiery little . . . boyfriend? Sasuke seemed like a cool, disinterested shinobi, but really he was a passionate warrior. He was also literary fiery with his fire jutsu and Amaterasu. Kakashi had been so lonely his entire life; his mother’s death, being abandoned by his father’s suicide, losing his friends and sensei to death, and consciously isolating himself from his other friends, he’d also lived blaming himself for Obito’s death and for his failure with Sasuke. Sasuke became a sun in his gloomy and lonely life.  
  
Sasuke was also spending any spare moments looking at his new love interest. But Kakashi reminded Sasuke of the moon. It was natural with Kakashi’s white hair. He was cool and relaxed which Sasuke associated with moonlit nights. To a shinobi, moonlit nights were not advantageous; they were often a time of rest and peace and safety: the things he was started to associate with Kakashi. And Kakashi was a new light in his dark life.  
  
After a week of making out and no more, Sasuke decided he was ready to take their relationship to the next level. Kakashi’s apartment was so simple he didn’t even have a sofa, so they were always making out on his bed. Tonight, Sasuke pulled Kakashi down over him as they kissed.  
  
Kakashi shook off Sasuke’s lips. “Are you sure?”  
  
“I see no reason to wait any longer. Do you?”  
  
“Absolutely not. I believe sixteen is the magic number in Konoha. It’s not like we haven’t known each other for a long time even if you ran off for a while.”  
  
“You haven’t changed one bit. Hate doors, always late, reading porn in front of children, lazy . . . Remind me why I love you again.”  
  
Kakashi kissed him and grabbed at the outside of Sasuke’s thigh and rubbed his hips into Sasuke’s.  
  
“Oh, yeah,” Sasuke sighed. He pulled at the hem of Kakashi’s civilian shirt. Kakashi let him pull it off and then straightened up to peel his mask/shirt which was bunched up around his neck so he could kiss Sasuke. Sasuke took the opportunity to see Kakashi’s upper body for the first time since he was thirteen.  
  
“You kept in shape,” Sasuke commented.  
  
“Of course. Even if I hadn’t, I would have killed myself during the last week to get back into shape just for you.”  
  
Kakashi pulled Sasuke’s shirt off. “You were a rather scrawny kid, but, damn, you’ve filled out beautifully.”  
  
“I tried.”  
  
Sasuke had traded that god-awful, thick, purple rope bow for just a black sash. Kakashi pulled it out of its knot and moved slowly stripping the rest of Sasuke’s clothes. “Like unwrapping a gift,” Kakashi said. Sasuke lifted his hips to help Kakashi remove the last of his clothing. A slight blush dusted Sasuke’s cheeks at being naked and erect in front of someone who was looking at him so intently. Kakashi growled in appreciation of Sasuke’s erection. “Think it’ll fit down my throat?”  
  
Sasuke smirked evilly. “Only one way to find out.”  
  
Kakashi silently agreed by taking him into his mouth. Once the head was clear of his lips, he looked up into Sasuke’s eyes. He kept lowering his head until the head hit the back of his throat, then forced a little down his throat. There was still another inch. Kakashi backed off. “Shit.” Sasuke looked smug. “I’ve only done this once before and I have to say, though with limited experience, I’m impressed.”  
  
“You’ll tell me his name.” It’s wasn’t a request.  
  
“No, no murdering fellow Konoha shinobi. Honestly, after running off, you’re lucky not to be on probation at the very least.”  
  
“Hai, hai. But house arrest sounds wonderful with you around.”  
  
Kakashi smiled and took his cock in mouth again, taking the entire length this time. Sasuke moaned. That was incentive to keep going and do his best. Sasuke was inspiration incarnate, so very responsive, writhing and moaning.  
  
Kakashi came up, but continued to stroke him. “Am I that good or is it your first time getting a blow job?”  
  
“Both, I think,” Sasuke sighed. “I never let anyone touch me.”  
  
“Considering who you’ve been around, I don’t blame you.”  
  
Kakashi wet his lips and drove back in. He actually got lost in it, concentrating on technique and how good it felt to have the large, hot, solid length in his mouth and slipping down his throat. He did everything he could think to do then he started on a procedure that didn’t take as much thinking to keep up and started messaging Sasuke’s heavy balls. It was like patting his head and rubbing his stomach at the same time—which, as a shinobi, he could do.  
  
“Kakashi,” Sasuke whined.  
  
Kakashi concentrated on the head of his cock and used his hand on base. Sasuke writhed, trying to stop his orgasm, but Kakashi sucked even harder. He let go in Kakashi’s mouth with a cry. Kakashi had to smile at how much cum there was and how thick. Someone hadn’t even been jacking off recently. Kakashi wondered if Sasuke’d been waiting for this and held off on jerking off. He licked and sucked every drop from Sasuke’s cock. Sasuke was still partially hard when he released him.  
  
“You taste so good,” Kakashi said.  
  
“That was amazing,” Sasuke sighed contentedly.  
  
“We haven’t even started.” Sasuke’s eyes glittered; he was amenable to continuing. “Relax. Having blown a load already, that should be easy.”  
  
Sasuke put his head back against the pillow and relaxed his entire body, but leaving his knees up, bent, and spread. Kakashi teased Sasuke’s virgin entrance with lubed fingers. Sasuke did relax and the first finger entered him easily. Kakashi slowly rubbed the tight ring, encouraging it to relax some more. Then he added a second finger.  
  
“Stings.”  
  
“Yeah, it’ll probably get worse before it gets better. But you know what that’s like.”  
  
“Hn.”  
  
Scissoring wasn’t as bad as either of them feared and Sasuke was eager enough that his body yielded.  
  
“Forget the rest,” Sasuke sighed. “Let it hurt. I want you now.”  
  
“You can’t underestimate the pain.”  
  
“My brother plucked out my eye. It may have been a genjutsu, but I felt the very real pain. Fuck me already.”  
  
“Aye, sir.” Kakashi sat up, lubed up, and wiped his hand on the sheets. “Push out as if you were trying to . . . you know. It’ll ease the way.”  
  
Sasuke didn’t answer, but was preparing himself mentally to take something as large as Kakashi’s nine and half inches. Kakashi put the head of his cock against Sasuke’s entrance. And pressed in. Sasuke obeyed Kakashi’s advice and it did help. Sasuke’s breath hitched, but he didn’t want Kakashi to stop. The pain was intense, but satisfying in a way. He was relieved when Kakashi finally bottomed out and stayed still.  
  
“Breathe,” Kakashi whispered.  
  
Sasuke didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he released it. He took deep breaths as his body adjusted to the solid length invading his body.  
  
After a minute, “Try it,” Sasuke said. Kakashi gave an experimental thrust. Sasuke grunted.  
  
“Was that a good grunt or a painful grunt?” Kakashi asked, infinitely patient with his no-longer-virgin lover.  
  
“An indifferent one,” Sasuke whispered. “Just strange. Go ahead.”  
  
Kakashi slowly started thrusting into the willing, tight body. He knew when he found that wonderful bundle of nerves. Sasuke’s body bucked and tightened and a small cry, more like a whine, came from his lips. After that, every thrust into that spot elicited a grunt of pleasure. The pain of intrusion had softened Sasuke completely, but his erection was returning now.  
  
Kakashi kept his pace slow so he could watch Sasuke’s face. He stopped while his cock was buried deep within Sasuke and put a hand to Sasuke’s pale cheek, causing the young man to open his eyes. “I love you so much.”  
  
“As beautiful as the sentiment is, if you don’t start moving again right now, I won’t feel like returning it.”  
  
Kakashi’s soft expression became a smile. “I do love you.” He pulled out slowly and thrust back in hard and fast. Sasuke let out a strangled cry. Kakashi let instinct take over and fucked Sasuke into the mattress. Sasuke had no complaints, spreading his legs even further and tilting his head back to expose his throat. To someone with a close tie to canines, that was a sign of submission and just turned Kakashi on more. Kakashi was too close to slow down and lean in to bite Sasuke’s neck, so he just kept going.  
  
Sasuke was mewing as his own orgasm approached. Kakashi shifted his weight onto one hand, kept his hips at their quick pace, and used his freed hand to jack Sasuke off, wanting him to cum first. And Sasuke did, almost instantly. Kakashi was right behind him.  
  
Kakashi honestly didn’t hear if Sasuke cried out or said something since he was too lost in pleasure and his own voice filled his ears.  
  
Sasuke had been lifting his hips up into Kakashi’s thrusts and now he let his hips fall, pulling himself off Kakashi’s deflating cock. Kakashi eased his spent body down beside Sasuke in the small area between Sasuke and the wall on the twin bed. He shied away from the cold wall and pulled himself up against Sasuke’s warm body and held him tightly.  
  
“Do you feel like returning it?” Kakashi asked sleepily.  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“I love you.” Sasuke yawned. “I can’t believe you’d doubt that since I let you fuck my brains out.”  
  
“Oh, that wasn’t ‘fucking your brains out,’ that was just easing in the virgin. And I don’t doubt you, I just love hearing it.”  
  
“So do I. I don’t think Itachi will mind me spending the night away from home tonight.”  
  
“Good. I had no intention of letting you out of my bed tonight anyway.”  
  
“Even if I need to piss?”  
  
“I wish I was kinky enough to say I could deal with that, but you have me there.”  
  
“Go to sleep, Kashi.”  
  
Kakashi hummed at the new pet name. “’K, ‘uke.”  
  
Sasuke elbowed him gently and Kakashi petted him until he fell asleep.


	2. Naruto and Itachi

Things started getting weird between Naruto and Itachi when Naruto brought ramen over for Itachi. Sasuke was finally persuaded to go out on a multi-day mission with just Kakashi. Naruto knew Sasuke had pretty bland taste and thought Itachi could do with some tasty Ichraku ramen.  
  
Itachi was finally out of bed and able to breathe easily, but his brother had become a mother hen, refusing to let Itachi move and only go outside for a few minutes. It made Itachi smile, but he still relished being able to sit outside without Sasuke badgering him to ‘stay warm’ and ‘get back inside’ and ‘don’t tire yourself out.’ _He’s worse than mother used to be._ His own thought made him sad. He’d killed their mother in cold blood. He felt cold.  
  
Then Naruto appeared. The blond’s sunny demeanor and complete lack of history with those he’d killed brought back some warmth.  
  
“I brought ramen,” Naruto announced. “That bastard doesn’t appreciate good food and since he’s gone . . .” Naruto presented Itachi with the takeout bowl and chopsticks.  
  
Itachi was a little startled that Naruto would bring him food. “Thank you.”  
  
Naruto sat next to him on Sasuke’s porch and opened his own bowl. “Itakimatsu!”  
  
“Itackimatsu,” Itachi said in a lower voice.  
  
The way Itachi spoke, like a prayer, struck Naruto. It caused a foreign sensation in his spine. He shrugged it off and dug into his beloved ramen.  
  
“This is really good,” Itachi said. That almost blew Naruto onto his back.  
  
“You like it?”  
  
“Yes. Thank you for bringing it.”  
  
“No one else except Iruka-sensei seems to appreciate just how good it is.”  
  
“It is on the sweet side, so that’s probably why Sasuke doesn’t like it. I used to be worried about him since he never liked candy. I told him if he was a good little brother he wouldn’t tell anybody about the fact he didn’t like candy, accept as much as people would give him, and give it to his older brother. Everyone doted on him because he was so adorable. Helped the he was the youngest son of the clan head. He started going up to our relatives and asking for candy with big puppy dog eyes just to bring it to me. If I hadn’t been training constantly I would have ended up looking like an Akimachi.”  
  
Naruto laughed. “I can’t image Sasuke being that cute. Or you being that fat.”  
  
“He was a lot different back then.” Itachi was sad again. Naruto had intended to leave once he finished eating, but with Itachi looking sad, he couldn’t leave.  
  
“Do you want some tea or something?” Naruto asked.  
  
“You know that’s one of things I miss most about Konoha, going to the tea houses.”  
  
“Really? Want to go to one and get desert? I’m sure the duckbutt doesn’t keep any desert around here.”  
  
Itachi laughed at the description of Sasuke. “No, he doesn’t. Since he’s not here to henpeck me, yes, I’d like to go out.”  
  
Though Naruto wanted to take Itachi out to cheer him up and also thought Sasuke was being too protective of his brother, Naruto ended up being only a few steps behind Sasuke in that regard. He made Itachi wear a thick cloak and purposely kept their pace slow.  
  
Itachi attracted stares the entire way, but Naruto sent a few mind-your-own-business stares back at people who looked too long. It didn’t occur to him that those stares weren’t all oh-my-god-it’s-the-S-class-criminal-Itachi stares but oh-my-god-he’s-gorgeous stares. All Naruto knew was they were making his companion uncomfortable.  
  
Finally they got to the café and ordered. They both dumped the sugar into their tea and Itachi slathered his dangos in honey. [That sounds so dirty!]  
  
“I think I’m starting to like you more than your brother,” Naruto pronounced.  
  
Itachi smiled. He liked spending time with Naruto, but he felt like an adult hanging out with a child. He was only four years older than Naruto, but the maturity difference was far greater; he’d never been happy and carefree, babysitting his baby brother when he was only four years old. Naruto was a breath of fresh air after Akatsuki and his brother. Naruto was genuinely happy; Itachi needed that with the guilt he still carried.  
  
“We should do this again,” Itachi said. “I like getting out and be around someone other than my dour, mothering little brother. And getting some sugar.” Itachi’s eyes sparkled when he said that. Naruto did not understand the innuendo.  
  
\-----  
  
They started going out together regularly whenever Sasuke was away, which was more and more since he was accepted into ANBU—or rather, he accepted the invitation to join ANBU. Sai was made a permanent replacement on Team Kakashi.  
  
Finally, Itachi was completely healthy. He was just recovered from his illness and no one—not he, Sasuke, or Tsunade—wanted to exchange the brothers’ eyes right now; let Itachi get strong again before putting his body through that. That meant the Sharingan was off limits for Itachi and limited for Sasuke as well since his eyes were already beginning to suffer; the truth about why Itachi killed their family and that Itachi really did love him all this time, awakening his Mangekyō before they returned to Konoha.  
  
Itachi didn’t want to rejoin ANBU so he was being eased into the normal shinobi teams. Anticipating that Itachi would have a little trouble adjusting to a team again—he hadn’t spent much time at all in a four man team even before he slaughtered his clan—Tsunade decided to send him off with only one other person to begin with, a situation he was more familiar with. She chose the person who seemed to be the second closest to him: Naruto.  
  
On the other hand, Naruto may not have been the best choice since he was nearly as protective of Itachi as Sasuke. Naruto was surprised how much like working with Sasuke it was. It was better actually since Itachi didn’t have Sasuke’s misanthropy. However, Itachi was used to having only one partner and was only attuned to him; that is, when they actually fought as a team, which was seldom. Itachi was trying though.  
  
Today they were to raid a missing-nin base, kill them all, and recover anything of value to Konoha. Naruto took the lead; he just naturally took over out of his protectiveness and the fact that Itachi was sort of new to working on a real team. He felt Itachi was entrusted to him, therefore, he put Itachi in a support role. So Itachi stood back while Naruto took out the first bunch of missing-nins who were returning to their base. Naruto had been hesitant to go all out on them, not wanting to use his Sage or Kyuubi powers too much and ended up being cut up by a particularly talented swordsman before Itachi could attack from the distance Naruto had put him from the actual battle.  
  
Itachi came up to him and took out the medical kit.  
  
“Don’t worry, the Kyuubi heals my wounds really fast.”  
  
“Tending your wounds will prevent scaring and infection. Take off your shirt.”  
  
Naruto obeyed and sat down. Itachi knelt in front of him and tended his wounds.  
  
“Don’t try to do everything yourself, Naruto,” Itachi said in his low, deep voice.  
  
“I don’t want anything to happen you. Anyway, I’m used to it because I want people to respect me. I’ve worked hard for that respect. I can handle it.”  
  
“Listen to me, the reason the villagers who used to dislike you began to trust you and think of you as a comrade was because you acknowledged them and you always try your hardest to be acknowledged by them. If you fixate on your ‘self,’ becoming arrogant and forgetting that others are there and able to help you, you will become like Madara. No matter how strong you become don’t try to bear any burden by yourself. You will fail. You know, the reason your father was able to be Hokage was because he had your mother, his student, his sensei, and all his friends around him. Your dream is your father’s, isn’t it? Then remember this well: the village didn’t acknowledge him because he became Hokage, he became Hokage because the village acknowledged him. Don’t forget your friends. I already tried to do so much on my own and failed. It wasn’t until I broke down and told Sasuke everything that our ordeal ended.”  
  
Naruto was blown away and touched—in fact, he almost cried. Itachi continued to bandage Naruto up in silence as Naruto ruminated on what Itachi said. Then he looked at Itachi and said, “You know, that was one hell of a speech to say you recent not being on the front line.” He laughed a little.  
  
Itachi smiled at him. “Indeed.”  
  
“I know your vision isn’t too good and you’re not supposed to be using your Sharingan at all, so I worry about you.”  
  
“There’s more to me than my Sharingan.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“Don’t worry so much. Let me carry my weight; I was a prominent member of Akatsuki after all.”  
  
Naruto nodded and Itachi finished up then they were off.  
  
They came to the missing-nin hideout, a large rowhouse like structure in the middle of the forest. Itachi silently signaled that he would move around to the back and kill those who came out while Naruto took the fore and attacked from the front. Naruto nodded and Itachi leaped away.  
  
While Itachi would wait for his prey to come to him, Naruto walked right up and Rasenganed the front door. Some inside stood their ground and fought Naruto while others fled through the back, to escape or come around behind Naruto, who appeared to be alone. Itachi was waiting for them with a few fire jutsu.  
  
Itachi finished off all those outside and entered the building to help Naruto with the more hostile missing-nins.  
  
One thing about Naruto was that he didn’t always think things through, didn’t always think about the consequences of his actions. One too many Rasengans made the roof unstable. Naruto called out to Itachi to warn him before the roof collapsed. Naruto was able to roll out the front door before the building utterly collapsed. He heard at least two men cry out in pain, possibly their death throes.  
  
Naruto looked around for Itachi, but didn’t see him. He panicked and started searching the rubble.  
  
“Itachi!” Naruto called. He repeated his name several times as he pulled up debris. “No, don’t be dead; Sasuke will kill me!”  
  
“You’re only worried about what my little brother will do?”  
  
Naruto turned at the voice to see Itachi standing there unscathed. He didn’t even think, he rushed Itachi and threw his arms around his waist. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”  
  
Itachi stood stunned for a moment, but then put his arms around the blond’s shoulders. Suddenly Naruto realized what he was doing and bolted away. He was nervous and embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
“Ahh, yeah. I’m glad you’re okay. We should look for those . . . whatever we were supposed to recover.”  
  
“Ah.” Itachi smiled at Naruto’s retreating back.  
  
\-----  
  
They returned to Konoha together, a backpack full of data on the missing-nins and their original villages. They relaxed as soon as they were within the village gates.  
  
Enter the mother hen.  
  
“Itachi, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Sasuke was standing still, but something about his voice said he was suppressing the urge to hop around Itachi like a frantic eight year old and look for wounds.  
  
“I’m fine, Otouto. You worry too much.” Itachi patted his head as he walked passed.  
  
“Well, you were on a B mission with just this dobe.”  
  
Itachi whirled. “Sasuke,” he admonished. And it wasn’t a playful admonishment, he was serious.  
  
“What? We disparage each other all the time; it’s the kind of friendship we have.”  
  
“I’ll have you know Naruto-kun saved my hide. Just don’t disparage him in front of me.”  
  
Sasuke nodded to his brother. Itachi walked away, leaving the reporting in to Naruto—Tsunade would no doubt want Naruto to report on him as much as the mission.  
  
Sasuke turned to Naruto. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.  
  
“You’re welcome?”  
  
Sasuke followed his brother.  
  
Naruto was confused; he hadn’t saved Itachi’s life; he thought he might have killed him in that collapse. Why did Itachi lie?  
  
He went to file his report, feeling very confused.  
  
\-----  
  
On their next mission together, they were out long enough for them to have to bathe in a river. Itachi was relieved; Naruto had pegged him as the type who hated going more than three days without bathing.  
  
Naruto didn’t even think of looking at Itachi as he stripped; Naruto stripped and jumped into the cold water. He turned to encourage Itachi to join him even while he shivered, but stopped, stunned by the beauty before him. Being nearly blind, Itachi was looking at the riverbank to step carefully into the water and so didn’t notice Naruto’s attention.  
  
Itachi was awfully thin, but well muscled. He could have been a lovely statue of the purest white marble but for that black hair. If the water hadn’t been near freezing, Naruto would have been painfully erect. He was beautiful.  
  
Itachi was about to enter the water. “It’s really cold,” Naruto warned. He was worried about how thin Itachi was.  
  
“I’ve bathed in colder.”  
  
“But you’ve just gotten well.”  
  
Itachi scowled at him. “I’m fine.” There was that Uchiha tendency to be difficult and stubborn. If Naruto hadn’t said anything, Itachi would have toed the water and decided it was too cold; maybe just freshened up with fire-heated water. He stoically entered the water, but he washed himself quickly and got out.  
  
Naruto had a good view of Itachi’s perfect ass and long legs as he stepped dripping from the water. Naruto licked his lips and was shocked when he realized what he’d just done: licking his lips while looking at another man’s ass.  
  
Then he noticed something unsettling. There was a mark on Itachi’s shoulder. It looked like a hicky, but it wasn’t a bruise, it was a scar. It was out of sight as Itachi dried off and re-dressed before Naruto could get a really good look at it. But it looked like a bite mark. A human sized bite mark.  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi could feel eyes on him—he was a shinobi for fuck’s sake—and he was used to being looked at with heated eyes. Naruto was looking at him more and more. He couldn’t help sneaking a few peeks at Naruto as well. He was missing sex and he might as well start looking for a new partner. But now that he was home, he wanted something more than a fuck buddy; he wanted a real lover, someone he could love.  
  
Naruto was looking at him as he lay down to sleep, as he ate, even as they flew through the trees. He was beginning to wonder about Naruto, now he was pretty sure: Naruto wanted him.  
  
Itachi was sure with his age, experience, and mature bearing he would easily dominate the younger man. The thought brought a smirk to his face. Even thought Itachi loved to be fucked, he was still the dominate one, the one in control of every situation. The thought of Naruto spread out before him, all his . . . Itachi was having to jack off in the shower as soon as he got home.  
  
And it wasn’t just lust. Naruto cared for him, had a desire to mother him and Itachi enjoyed the cheerful boy’s company. He was so unlike everyone else in his life: his dour and seemingly distant and uncaring father with his stern face and heavy burdens which led him to expect too much from his eldest son and practically ignore his youngest; his quiet mother who complemented her husband’s seriousness, but was always kind to her children; his emotionally retarded brother who rarely smiled anymore—much to Itachi’s dismay—and kept his distance from everyone but Itachi and Kakashi; then Kisame.  
  
He and Kisame had worked well together, the only team in Akatsuki that did. Despite Kisame’s brutish appearance, he was very loyal and kind to Itachi. He deferred to him, aware that Itachi didn’t like to fight and always asked his permission to enter a fray, taking his orders without argument. And he cared for Itachi. It seemed like everyone mothered him: Sasuke, Naruto, Kisame . . .  
  
Itachi put a hand over the mark on his shoulder as he lounged alone on the sofa in the house he shared with his brother. He didn’t know if the mark was noticeable, but he could feel the scared texture of where Kisame often bit him with his shark-like teeth. Itachi didn’t love Kisame and Kisame would never admit that he loved Itachi, but it was obvious Kisame did. He never said it, but the way he touched him, looked at him, and calling Itachi by any number of pet names and calling him delicate and beautiful . . . Itachi missed him. He’d felt special and loved even if he didn’t love Kisame back. Itachi had known he was going to die and didn’t let it bother him that he was going to die without ever truly being in love. At least he had been loved.  
  
When Sasuke was bringing him to Konoha, Kisame stopped him. Itachi was drained and injured, worse than Sasuke was. He had lied to Kisame. Kisame believed that Itachi was fighting Sasuke in order to take his eyes, that his illness would disappear after he took his brother’s eyes for his own; he didn’t know Itachi’s true intentions. Itachi was aware when Kisame stopped Sasuke, but he couldn’t lift his head or say anything. He lost consciousness before the fight started.  
  
But at the end of the battle, when things had quieted down—that was perhaps what had woken him—Itachi opened his eyes and saw Kisame. Against Sasuke and his team, Kisame was brought down. The moment stretched. It seemed like forever that they looked into each other’s eyes: Kisame’s still bright and wide open and Itachi’s hooded and blurry as he lay on his stomach where Sasuke had laid him. He still didn’t say it, but Itachi knew. The words Kisame did say made tears bleed from his eyes then as they did now several weeks later.  
  
“Itachi-san, it seems in the end I’m not so terrible after all.”  
  
Suigetsu cut off his head. Itachi’s tears were lost in the rain created by Sasuke’s Kirin. They were hot as they fell from his eyes now. Kisame had been a good and loyal friend, a kind and considerate lover. Except for that bite on his shoulder. Itachi wished he could have loved Kisame back, but he couldn’t.  
  
Naruto on the other hand . . .  
  
Naruto was like sunlight: bright and cheery, naturally positive and happy. He was confident, outgoing, friendly, happy just to be alive. His hair shone like the sun and his eyes were clear and bright like a summer sky.  
  
Itachi looked at himself. He wasn’t brooding like his brother, but he was quiet, reserved, naturally imperious, self-possessed, self-reliant, confident, a loner. He’d given Naruto that speech about trusting your comrades, but the truth was he was used to doing things himself or with just Kisame. When they both fought, they were usually fighting separate people—or separate groups of people. Itachi was just as convinced that he alone could succeed and achieve his goals. And Itachi was surrounded by darkness, a miasma created by the terrible sin of matricide and patricide. He’d murdered his own family, butchered his own clan. That sin weighed heavily upon him. He carried the guilt of what he did every day even if the village forgave, even if his brother mostly forgave him, he still knew what he had done. He realized he’d been living in the dark, under this cloud most of his life. Naruto was the sun. Naruto was also one of Sasuke’s very few friends—even that was enough of an endorsement. He was a warm summer breeze in Itachi’s cold life. Even gloomy, dour, sulky Sasuke basked in it.  
  
Itachi really was coming to love Naruto.  
  
\-----  
  
The shit hit the fan while Sasuke was on patrol. Itachi sent a raven to ask Naruto to come over for dinner since the abominable little brother wasn’t home. Naruto stopped by a bakery to buy some chocolate brownies and some fudge sauce for desert.  
  
Itachi made ramen. “I’ve been all over the shinobi world and picked up many recipes along the way since Kisame and I usually had to cook for ourselves while we were on the road. It was probably a gross underutilization of power, but I used my Sharingan while watching the chefs. This is one of my favorite recipes.”  
  
“Wow! I kinda hate that someone makes better ramen than old man Teuchi.”  
  
Itachi laughed. They chatted over dinner and then devoured Naruto’s desert with an almost obscene enjoyment of something Sasuke loathed. For all intents and purposes this was Sasuke’s house and Sasuke was the head of the decimated clan; they both just took it for granted that Itachi had relinquished that right when he murdered their family. It seemed rebellious to have anything with sugar in Sasuke’s house.  
  
“Thank you, Naruto; I do enjoy a side of sugar after dinner.”  
  
Naruto didn’t understand what Itachi really meant even with Itachi’s eyes at half mast.  
  
“Thank you for the ramen!”  
  
“Ah.” Fuck, he was so innocent. It wasn’t really a perverse desire to corrupt him, but Itachi wanted to show Naruto all the pleasures at his disposal. He wanted to lavish Naruto with attention, make him mew with pleasure.  
  
Some of his thoughts must of showed on his face because Naruto looked startled. Indeed, Itachi’s eyes had become devouring and lustful. He wasn’t quite leering, but that soft smile had something of the predator about it. Itachi’s eyebrow went up in response to Naruto startled expression, but it didn’t make Itachi look less . . . threatening.  
  
“Are you alright, Naruto-kun?”  
  
“Uh, yeah.” He’d noticed how sexy Itachi’s voice was before, but that question was dripping with predatory lust. He felt like a lame deer being stalked by a panther. He was scared, but he was also excited. Itachi’s face and voice promised a night a wild abandon, but did Naruto want that? I mean, Itachi was a guy! Naruto wasn’t gay! Was he? Naruto was having serious doubts about everything as those black eyes made his stomach do back flips. Those long lashes should have hid his eyes, but the black on black just made Itachi’s eyes that much more enthralling.  
  
Itachi’s vision was blurry, but he saw Naruto swallow and that he was examining his face. Naruto unconsciously licked his lips. Then Naruto’s eyes dropped to Itachi’s lips. Itachi pressed his tongue against his closed lips to make them puff out a little more without outright pouting. Naruto’s eyes looked curious, as if wondered what Itachi’s lips might taste like or what those lips would feel like. Itachi felt he had his answer.  
  
Then the predatory look was gone. Itachi straighten up from lounging on the floor. He took up his tea cup and swirled it around to make the liquid pick up as much sugar as possible then drained the cup. He stood and Naruto did the same.  
  
“You know, Sasuke’s out for the entire night.”  
  
Naruto’s mouth was suddenly dry. To distract himself, he gathered up the dishes and put them on the counter. “Oh, I guess he won’t be up to train tomorrow then.”  
  
Itachi’s expression softened to a fond one. The dear was nervous. Itachi’s heart was beating fast. When Naruto turned around he nearly ran into Itachi. Itachi put a hand on his cheek and kissed him. Naruto’s lips were already parted and Itachi took that as an invitation. Itachi’s tongue entered Naruto’s mouth and Itachi took a deep breath through his nose, feeling like he’d finally come home, finally found the person he loved.  
  
But Naruto didn’t kiss back. He was stunned. When Itachi’s tongue caressed his, he woke up and pulled away. He spluttered something unintelligible and nearly stumbled out of the room and through the front door before the surprised—and mortified—Uchiha could move.  
  
\-----  
  
Once out the front door, Naruto ran as hard as he could home. He shut the door and sat back against it in the dark.  
  
Itachi kissed him! He started to have a panic attack. Itachi kissed him! ITACHI! The most gorgeous man in the world had kissed him! Naruto had been admiring him for a while, but fuck! Naruto had freaked out. That look, like Itachi was sizing him up, already stripping him with his eyes and mentally fucking his brains out. If that was just his normal black eyes, what would a genjutsu be like?  
  
The moon was shinning outside his window. Naruto looked at it and couldn’t help but think how like the moon Itachi was: pale and framed with black. The moon seemed lonely too. And so beautiful.  
  
Fuck, he’d made an ass of himself freaking out like that. He didn’t know if he could face Itachi again.  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi flung himself on his bed. He’d fucked up. He was certain Naruto wanted him too, why else would the boy stare at him so much. Guess even if you’re not into it, you can appreciate beauty no matter what. He was depressed not only because he lost a potential lover but that he might have lost one of his only friends.  
  
And the surgery was coming up. Soon Tsunade would exchange the brothers’ eyes. They would be bandaged up and blind for some time. At least Sasuke would have Kakashi by his side. He envied Sasuke’s relationship. Kakashi would be there for him while he was blind and defenseless, he had someone he loved and trusted there while he was vulnerable. Itachi would be alone. Kakashi no doubt would help him too as would some nurse Tsunade assigned to them, but he wouldn’t have someone who loved him at his side. Itachi was scared. And cold. He stripped off most of his clothes and climbed under the covers.  
  
He ached for Kisame. He remembered one night they were staying at an inn and Itachi was overcome by depression. He’d seen a pair of brothers in the street, the elder giving his brother a piggyback ride. It reminded him of Sasuke, of the good times they had before everything went to shit. His eyes were hot, but his body had lost all warmth as he thought about all he’d lost: his clan, his honor, his parents, his beloved little brother . . . He curled up under the blanket. Kisame sensed his depression and moved in behind him and spooned him. Kisame’s body was so warm and it felt so good to be held. Kisame didn’t say anything while Itachi wept like a child, he just held him around the waist, his bare arms around his bare abdomen. Kisame never asked him about it and the next day it was almost as if it hadn’t happened, but it had. Itachi berated himself for not loving Kisame. He deserved so much more from him.  
  
Itachi needed Kisame’s comfort now.  
  
\-----  
  
It yanked at Itachi’s heart. Kakashi had his arms wrapped around his little brother’s waist and his head on his shoulder as Sasuke made breakfast. Kakashi swayed a little back and forth in the simple joy of having his beloved in his arms. Itachi watched as he nuzzled Sasuke’s duck-butt hair with his cloth-covered nose. He could hear Kakashi inhale deeply, taking in his brother’s scent. And Sasuke let him. Sasuke leaned back a little into Kakashi’s body as he cooked.  
  
How could Itachi not approve of Kakashi when he so clearly adored his little brother? Kakashi worshipped the air Sasuke breathed. He knew love when he saw it. Kisame used to just watch Itachi breathe. Kakashi really did remind him of Kisame, that’s why he approved. He missed that kind of affection and was happy it was being shown to Sasuke. But right now it knifed his heart.  
  
Kakashi was forced to loosen his grip as Sasuke plated three meals and then helped Sasuke move the plates to the table. Itachi pretended to ignore them as he sat down. His ‘Itakimatsu’ was little more than a breath and a little hostile sounding. Sasuke eyed him, concerned about his silence and reticent demeanor. Itachi gave him an eye back to make him look away.  
  
Kakashi was not unaware of Itachi’s bad mood, he wanted to lift it, so he started talking. Then the talking turned to flirting and he and Sasuke got lost in each other. Itachi wanted to snap at them, especially Kakashi. He knew they weren’t purposely flaunting their relationship, but he wanted to snap at them, he wanted someone else to know how unhappy he was, how much pain he was in, he wanted to make them feel ashamed for acting this way in front of him.  
  
Instead, he ate quickly and let his lacquered wood chopsticks clatter on his plate and them and plate make more noise as he put them on the counter. He went back to his room and shut the door a little harder than he needed to. The other two flinched. They didn’t ask each other what that was about since they could see they were both just as perplexed. They didn’t think it was their relationship since Itachi had known from the start.  
  
“Looks like the floor will be covered in eggshells for a while,” Kakashi said.  
  
“Hn.”


	3. Three Lemons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Triple threat! Three lemons with different pairings! I am awesome. There’s painful, sort of nasty, sex between Itachi and Kisame in flashback in this chapter.

Sasuke didn’t want to leave Itachi alone after that display of temper, but he also didn’t want to spend the night away from Kakashi. Problem easily solved. Except the brothers’ rooms were right next to each other.  
  
Sasuke thought they could get through one night sleeping in the same bed without sex. He didn’t know Kakashi as well as he should. Kakashi did try. He had one arm over Sasuke’s body, the other tucked under the pillow and his head, his hips not pressed against Sasuke’s ass, and his nose not quite touching the younger man’s hair. But he could feel and smell him. His arm tightened around Sasuke and he growled.   
  
“My brother will hear us.”  
  
“We can be quite.”  
  
“But I go first.” Sasuke had taken the lead once so far and Kakashi did enjoy it, but he was more of a Seme. Sasuke knew that, that was one reason it was a condition.  
  
“As long as I get your ass afterward.”  
  
“Agreed.”  
  
Kakashi slipped out of bed to find something to use as lube. Massage oil would have to do tonight. Sasuke knelt on the bed waiting for Kakashi. Kakashi gave him the oil and lay down on his back. Before Sasuke he’d only had sex with one other guy for which he was thankful as the experience was valuable for Sasuke’s first time. And for his first and this, his second time, being fucked by the Uchiha.   
  
Sasuke descended upon him, taking Kakashi’s impressive manhood into his mouth while he teased Kakashi’s hole with his oiled fingers. As much as he was a natural top, Kakashi loved this. Really, he’d take it up the ass to fuck Sasuke, but he’d do it just for one of Sasuke’s blowjobs. Being Sasuke’s first, he liked to think he was a great sensei; teaching by example.   
  
Sasuke started by using just his lips clinched tight around his shaft as he moved up and down. Sasuke took him as deep as possible and swallowed, massaging the head with his convulsing throat. Then that wonderful tongue came into play. Kakashi had already found out that Sasuke had learned more than just combat jutsu from Orochimaru. Sasuke’s tongue lengthened and curled all the way around Kakashi’s cock creating a delicious ring of muscle that felt like Kakashi was fucking him while still in that warm, wet mouth. That unnaturally long tongue undulated as it slipped up and down his cock. However, using his tongue like that meant that he had to keep his wide open, keeping his lips from tightening around him. All the while, Sasuke was rubbing the head of his cock against the back of his throat, not to mention the rubbing at his entrance. And the lewd sounds coming from Sasuke’s open mouth were obscene and sexy. Kakashi feared he’d blow his load early.  
  
He didn’t have to worry about that since Sasuke pushed one finger, then a second into his ass. He didn’t mind getting his prostate battered, but he really didn’t enjoy penetration or the preparation. But Sasuke was twisting his tongue around so he was feeling the rough and smooth sides of his tongue at the same time. Kakashi growled with pleasure.   
  
Sasuke retracted his tongue, letting it return to normal and when he came up he left a generous amount of saliva. Kakashi found it sexy how it a string of salvia still connected his cock and Sasuke’s mouth. Sasuke broke the strand and lobbed the rest of the spit in his mouth onto Kakashi’s cock.   
  
Sasuke lubed up and entered Kakashi. Damn it, why did Sasuke love this so much? It stung like a son of a bitch. By now when Kakashi fucked him, Sasuke was always a writhing mess; Kakashi was in pain. But if it got him Sasuke’s ass tonight, he’d take it.   
  
Then he was reminded why Sasuke liked it. Sasuke hit his prostate.  
  
“Fuck, yeah,” Kakashi sighed.  
  
“Shhh,” Sasuke admonished him. “My brother.”  
  
“Hai, hai. Just hit that spot again.”  
  
Sasuke rolled his eyes and proceeded to do just that. Kakashi was so hot and tight. According to Kakashi this was only his third time and Sasuke believed it. “Fuck, Kakashi,” he sighed.   
  
Sasuke liked looking down at his lover as he made love to him. Sasuke moved his hands from Kakashi’s spread thighs to Kakashi’s toned chest. Braced with one hand, Sasuke caressed that lovely, pale body as he continued to rock into his tight body.  
  
“Sasuke,” Kakashi sighed. He was grunting lowly with every thrust, then he let out, “Faster. Fuck me, Sasuke, damn it!”   
  
Sasuke was too lost in his own pleasure to remember they were supposed to be quiet. On the other side of the wall, Itachi was annoyed, but secretly glad his brother was fucking Kakashi. If they weren’t done quickly, he was going to have to do something. He folded the pillow around his head to dampen the noise.  
  
Unfortunately for Itachi, it was another three minutes before Sasuke cam. Kakashi couldn’t get off from getting fucked, so he was still fully erect when Sasuke pulled out. He grabbed Sasuke and forced him to trade places. Two lubed fingers inside of Sasuke to ensure he was lubed enough and Kakashi thrust his saliva lubed cock into Sasuke’s hungry ass.  
  
“Oh, fuck me,” Sasuke sighed, cringing only a little at the sudden penetration. “Fuck me.” Sasuke definitely enjoyed it more than Kakashi. Sasuke’s soften cock was coming back to life even before Kakashi hit his prostate.   
  
“Ahhhh!” Kakashi had found Sasuke’s spot. “Fuck, yeah, Kakashi. Fuck! Damn, fuck me harder.”  
  
Itachi really didn’t want to hear that.  
  
Sasuke just groaned and hissed for a while, but then cried out. “Harder! Fuck yeah!”  
  
Something hit the other side of the wall and the lovers stopped dead. Itachi.   
  
“Just hurry up and finish,” Sasuke whispered, blushing so much Kakashi could see it in the dim light from the moon.  
  
Sasuke put the back of his wrist over his mouth and jacked off while Kakashi resumed fucking him. A few low groans later and a muffled cry from Sasuke and they both cam. Kakashi sank down over him and kissed him.   
  
“Let’s just go to sleep,” Sasuke said. “We’ll change the sheets and take a shower in the morning.”  
  
“Hai.”  
  
They settled back into the same position as before they fucked and went to sleep, fearing what kind of mood Itachi would be in in the morning.  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi looked annoyed when the pair first came out of their room, but it was brief. He’d gotten over the worse of Naruto’s rejection, now he was just tired and annoyed that his brother and his lover were loud in bed and having sex in the next room. Sex he wasn’t getting.   
  
“Sorry, Aniki,” Sasuke said. “I forgot I was supposed to be quiet.”  
  
“Me too,” Kakashi said.  
  
“I just really don’t like hearing my baby brother begging to be fucked.”  
  
Itachi and Kakashi both thought Sasuke was adorable with the blush and chagrined expression. Itachi grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, pressing Sasuke’s head low against his chest. “Just don’t have sex here anymore, okay?”  
  
“Hai.”  
  
Itachi was definitely in a better humor, but he was obviously still depressed. Sasuke waved Kakashi to the kitchen to make breakfast as Sasuke hugged his brother back.   
  
“I’m meeting with the Hokage today,” Itachi said. “My eyesight . . . I can’t take missions anymore. I can barely see faces.”  
  
Sasuke hugged him tighter. “Yeah. She’ll probably take me off the roster soon too.”  
  
“I’d rather you stop now, just to be safe.”  
  
“Hn.” Sasuke straightened to hug his brother more like an adult and not around his waist like a child. He wanted to ask if that was the only thing bothering him, but he didn’t see how it could be anything else.  
  
\-----  
  
The rabbits in the room next to Itachi’s tried to have silent sex again and failed again. But Itachi didn’t throw anything against the wall or bang on it this time. He was thinking about Kisame.   
  
It had started out innocently enough, Kisame watching him. There was nothing threatening about it and Itachi wasn’t concerned by it. They were very civil to each other for the first few months, but once they felt more comfortable in the other’s company, Kisame grew a little bolder.   
  
Kisame of course loved water and was stripped and in the river before Itachi could even put down the pack he carried under his cloak. Itachi always moved slower and more deliberately, even when stripping. Kisame didn’t mind, enjoying the view as he floated on his back in the cold water. After a few dozen times, Itachi ignored Kisame’s watching him as he stripped.   
  
But something came over Kisame that day. As Itachi carefully tested the water, Kisame popped up from the water and pulled Itachi into the cold river. He immensely enjoyed seeing Itachi flail around; it was the first time he saw Itachi not under perfect control. Itachi pulled himself to the steep bank looking like a wet cat. Kisame was guffawing.   
  
Itachi glared at him at first, but his laughter was infectious. And it _was_ pretty funny. Itachi smiled and eased back into the water and started washing.  
  
Kisame’s laugher faded away, but his smiled remained. Now he started thinking about how good it felt to touch Itachi, to feel his silken skin even if it was only so much to pull him into the water.   
  
Itachi finished quickly and was getting out.  
  
“You should stay in the sun a little longer,” Kisame said, indicating the part of the river sparkling in the sun. “Warm that pale skin of yours.”  
  
Itachi looked back at him and decided to take the older man’s advice. Itachi sank back in the water and then floated on his back in the sunlight. It did feel good. He shut his eyes and luxuriated in the hot sun. Kisame admired his beautiful body, not caring if Itachi caught him staring.   
  
For his part, Itachi wasn’t sexually attracted to Kisame at all, but the prospect was making him frustrated. He wanted sex. He’d had sex with the girl his father had picked out for him, but he’d never been with a man. He was tried of kacking off the few times when they stayed at inns with separate rooms or waking up to find his boxers soiled with cum. He wanted sex.   
  
It was months later that they actually slept together. Itachi had tried to encourage Kisame, but he was concerned about Itachi’s age, to which Itachi laughed. He was an ANBU captain and slaughtered the most powerful clan in Konoha—his own—when he was thirteen. The last thing he wanted to hear was that he was too young for anything.   
  
Finally, it became too much for them both. Kisame wanted to do it in an inn, in a proper bed, but Itachi wanted to do it far from where they would be overheard. Itachi found a soft patch of ground in the forest. He didn’t want either of their bedrolls to be soiled with semen, so he wanted to do it on the bare ground. They were also near a river to clean up.  
  
Itachi stripped. He waited for Kisame to strip. He was nervous. Kisame’s cock when soft was larger than Itachi when hard. He knew this was going to hurt which is why he wanted to do this in the middle of nowhere: he didn’t want anyone else to hear him scream. He sat and waited. Kisame sat in front of him. Itachi kept all emotion from his face as usual, but Kisame could tell the younger man was nervous if not scared. He kissed him carefully, aware of his sharp teeth. Itachi was adventurous and slid his tongue into the shark’s mouth.   
  
They kissed for a while, Kisame sliding a hand between Itachi’s legs and palmed his soft cock. After a minute, he pulled one of Itachi’s hands to his crotch and Itachi touched his large cock for the first time. He was scared as he felt the monster cock grow in his hand. He mimicked Kisame’s handjob as they carefully kissed.  
  
“I would give you a blowjob if it weren’t for my teeth.”  
  
“I appreciate the consideration.”   
  
“Ready?”  
  
Itachi nodded.  
  
“Probably easiest to get on your hands and knees,” Kisame suggested.  
  
Itachi compiled. The fire light gave Itachi’s pale skin a beautiful glow. Kisame caressed the smooth skin of Itachi’s ass. Kisame had bought lube; he’d asked for something that would let him slide a beer can through a shuriken’s finger hole. But regardless, one finger stung as it entered Itachi’s virgin ass. The second was even more painful, but Itachi kept his mouth shut. Kisame went slowly, trying to ease the young man’s body open.   
  
Kisame pulled his fingers out and put the head of his cock against the spread hole, but there was no way. He went back to fingering Itachi, spreading him with a third finger. Itachi let out a small cry. He skin was vibrantly red with broken capillaries, just short of bleeding. Kisame knew it was best to continue until Itachi told him to stop. Itachi’s pain did dampen Kisame’s erection a bit, but just the idea he would soon be inside those thin hips kept him hard enough.   
  
Kisame tried again, but he knew he was going to tear Itachi apart. His body was already distorted and gapping. He pulled away to try stretching him more.   
  
“Just do it, Kisame,” Itachi said. “And don’t go slow. Like ripping off a bandage. Just do it.”  
  
Kisame sighed. He jerked himself with the lube and pressed against Itachi’s entrance.   
  
“Just thrust,” Itachi ordered.   
  
Well, he was used to following the younger man’s orders. He pressed the head of his cock to the distended hole and snapped his hips forward. Itachi cried out, but bit the last half of the scream back, turning it into a loud groan. The head of Kisame cock had penetrated. Itachi was shaking with pain and had broken out in a sweat. He swallowed any other sounds of pain. He thought about his guilt, about his clan. He deserved any pain. Sasuke’s face when he realized what his brother had done came unbidden.   
  
“Keep going,” Itachi rasped.  
  
“You should let your body adjust.”  
  
“No. Let it hurt, just do it.”  
  
Kisame rubbed Itachi’s back soothingly before grabbing his hips and pushing forward. Itachi groaned in pain, but didn’t tell Kisame to stop even though it was excruciating. Itachi’s arms gave out and pressed the side of face in the moss beneath him and fisted the vegetation. It hurt Kisame’s cock as well, pushing against taut skin and tight muscle.  
  
The thick, hard intruder, pressing against Itachi’s organs made his stomach cramp and his bladder release under the pressure. He was vaguely aware of it, just enough to be thankful he’d taken a piss before this. Itachi was glad he was too nervous to eat or else he would have vomited as well just from the pain. All in all, it was far from a pleasant experience. But even as the rest of his organs were rebelling, the pressure against his prostate was exquisite, a faint spark of pleasure among all the pain and discomfort. With Kisame’s size, he applied pressure against the spot no matter what.  
  
They were both relieved when Kisame was fully seated inside him. Kisame readjusted his legs to put his arms around Itachi’s naked and sweaty torso and hug him close, trying to comfort him. Itachi wouldn’t sob, but he was crying; not from the pain, but from the guilt he channeled into the pain. Remembering all the sins he had committed, all in one night. The memory of Sasuke was a knife in his gut to rival the hot, hard, rod of flesh inside his body right now. He wanted Kisame to make it hurt more.   
  
But the pain was receding. As immense as the pain was, it faded quickly. His ass and insides throbbed and stung, but the majority of the pain was ebbing away. Itachi took deep breaths.   
  
“You okay?” Kisame asked.  
  
“Actually, yeah, now.” His voice was shaky, but he didn’t sound like he was lying. Itachi’s body had relaxed a little.  
  
“Do you want me to start moving?”  
  
“Go ahead.”  
  
Now, on his bed, hearing his brother and Kakashi fucking on the other side of the wall, Itachi started jerking off.   
  
Back in Itachi’s memory, Kisame sat back again, taking his arms from around Itachi’s body and dragged his foot long cock out of Itachi’s body and it felt like an eternity for it to come all the way out except the head. Itachi felt so very empty, but Kisame slid right back in, slow and gentle. The pressure against Itachi’s prostate was wonderful and started to overtake the pain.   
  
When Kisame released him, Itachi gently sank down, chest to the ground. Now Itachi pushed himself up and started to push back onto Kisame’s cock. That shocked the hell out of Kisame. He sped up and started to enjoy himself. Itachi started sighing with pleasure. After they both got comfortable with it, Kisame started taking his full length out and thrusting it back in.   
  
Itachi’s slight—non-guilt based—masochistic side came out. He loved it. He started getting hard after Kisame’s third thrust and came after about six minutes. Kisame was harder to satisfy and continued to fuck his gorgeous lover. He got close after another ten minutes and reached around to jerk off Itachi. Itachi cam and pulled Kisame with him. Itachi could feel the large amount of cum filling him.   
  
Kisame pulled out and Itachi let his entire body collapse into the leaves and moss that was splashed with cum and urine. Having pulled away from Itachi’s body, Kisame could see his ass better in the firelight.  
  
“You’re bleeding, Itachi.”  
  
“I’d be surprised if I wasn’t,” he said with his cheek pressed against the ground. “Does it look like a lot?”  
  
Kisame looked at the gapping hole and then down at his cock which was smeared with Itachi’s blood. “Not really. Rest there a minute.”  
  
Itachi nodded, rubbing his cheek against the ground. Kisame had gathered water in their cooking pot and started heating it. Once the water was hot enough, he picked Itachi up and cleaned him up. Itachi lay limply in his arms and let Kisame care for him. He was exhausted as much from the pain as the orgasms. He fell asleep in Kisame’s arms before he finished cleaning him up. Kisame put him to bed and put his bedroll next to his, one not big enough to even spoon in.   
  
Back in Konoha, Itachi was jerking off thinking of Kisame’s large cock tearing him apart that night, the next morning—at Itachi’s request to keep him from tightening up too much—and several other times. He might not have loved Kisame, but he loved the sex. Fuck, the sex! Itachi pulled his pillow over his mouth and bit into it as he cried out as he cam.   
  
It had only been a few short months since he last had sex with Kisame and he was sure his body was still adjusted for his cock. He really wondered if anyone else could ever satisfy him. Still horny, he turned onto his side, bent his left leg to spread his cheeks, and touched his hole. He could feel the stretched skin around his entrance and it opened on demand a little. He played a finger in his cum on his stomach and probed his own hole. Damn it, he wanted to be fucked!  
  
And they were still at it in the next room. His finger wasn’t cutting it, so turned onto his back again and jerked off, thankful they weren’t using any names next door—hearing Sasuke’s name would make him go limp.   
  
As he jerked off again, a different person came to mind. Blond hair and blue eyes, tan skin and the smell of ramen. He cam with Naruto’s name’s slipping gently from his lips.  
  
\-----  
  
Naruto hadn’t seen Itachi in a week and every time he thought of him, his stomach squirmed. He was frightened. Not of Itachi really, but of his own feelings for Itachi. He wasn’t gay, was he? He felt so bad; Itachi had looked crestfallen as he backpedaled from the room. Naruto knew he had reacted badly, but he couldn’t bring himself to face the elder Uchiha after that. He’d fucked up. He liked Itachi—very much—but he was frightened of what the older man made him feel. He . . . loved Itachi.  
  
To top it all off, he was sent a message that Itachi wasn’t to take missions anymore. Was it because what happened? Did Itachi not want to do missions with him anymore? Or was he too depressed or something to take missions? Naruto felt sick. He opted to take a few days off; Team Kakashi was taking time off too. Maybe that was a bad call; work would have helped take his mind off Itachi.   
  
Naruto was depressed and ate his ramen alone and in silence. Teuchi was worried about him, but decided Naruto looked like he needed silence for once. After ten minutes, he was still on his first bowl. Teuchi frowned, wondering what was wrong with his favorite patron.   
  
Naruto swirled a piece of pork in the broth wondering what he should do when he felt a familiar presence next to him. An Uchiha. Naruto jumped, afraid it was Itachi, but it was Sasuke.  
  
“Why have you stopped coming over to my house?” Sasuke asked without any preamble.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“You, Shikamaru, and Neji are the only ones who visit Itachi. Shikamaru only wants to play shoji with a worthy opponent and Neji wants to spar with a worthy opponent. You’re the only one who ever really talks with him. He’s lonely. You’re coming over.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Sasuke sat down and ordered a small bowl.   
  
“Itachi’s been depressed,” Sasuke said. “It’s been weeks since we’ve been home and he hasn’t once been depressed or irritable, but the last few days . . . I’m worried about him. Maybe it’s just the surgery. I’m scared too.”  
  
“Surgery?”  
  
“Didn’t Itachi tell you? You seem to talk more to him nowadays; I thought he told you. Tsunade’s set the date to exchange our eyes: it’s in nine days. Kakashi will stay with us; he’s sort of been through it before.” Sasuke smiled weakly. “Itachi’s not been going on missions for the last week because his eyesight is failing completely. He can’t fight anymore. Everything’s getting blurry on me. It used to come and go, but now I can’t read.” Sasuke’s tone was even and normal, but Naruto realized he wasn’t just scared, he was terrified by what was going on with their eyes.  
  
“We’ll be bandaged up for at least a week,” Sasuke continued. “We’ll in effect be blind. Kakashi will stay with us.” His voice developed a slight tremor. He took a deep breath. “Kakashi will stay with us,” he repeated for a third time.  
  
Naruto didn’t know what to say, a scared Uchiha was out of his experience—perhaps out of all experience. Teuchi placed a bowl in front of Sasuke, giving Naruto a little time to think.  
  
“It’ll be alright,” Naruto said with a cheery voice. “Baa-chan’s the best medical-nin in the world! If Kakashi’s teammate could do it on the battlefield and as a kid then it’ll be nothing for Baa-chan!”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” Sasuke ate slowly. Naruto couldn’t think of anything else to comfort the youngest Uchiha and went back to his own bowl. They were a silent pair for several minutes. Sasuke quit half way through.   
  
“You done?” Naruto asked.  
  
“I don’t have much of an appetite, but Kakashi keeps telling me to eat. I can’t keep much down. You can have the rest if you want.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
Sasuke walked away, but Naruto abandoned both bowls soon after.  
  
\-----  
  
Giant snakes, older homicidal shinobi, Orochimaru, Orochimaru’s mutant bodyguards—especially that guy with the bones—Kabuto and his deadly version of medical ninjutsu, half the members of Akatsuki . . . a _really_ pissed off Sasuke. Naruto had faced some of the most frightening opponents in the world and survived. He’d rushed into battle time and again without hesitation. But he was frightened of the door to the Uchihas’ house.  
  
Naruto had gone home, coughed up his ramen, taken a shower, and dressed in fresh clothes, then came here. He knocked, half hoping Itachi would ignore him. He knew Itachi was home, he could feel the caress of his powerful chakra. As he waited he wondered what color it was. Sasuke had said something about being able to see chakra and how it was different colors. He said Naruto’s was yellow, the Kyuubi’s was red, and when they were working together, it was orange; Kakashi’s was a silvery blue and Sakura’s was standard blue. He said most people had blue chakra, though in varying shades. Sasuke hadn’t answered when Naruto asked what color his chakra was, but now he wanted to know what color Itachi’s was.  
  
The door opened, snapping him out of his thoughts. Itachi looked startled to see him.   
  
“Naruto. Sasuke’s isn’t here.”  
  
“I didn’t come to see Sasuke.”  
  
Itachi swallowed and stepped aside to let Naruto enter. Naruto stepped in and stood awkwardly as Itachi shut the door. Both their minds were racing.   
  
“Want tea or something?” Itachi asked, proud that he didn’t use any ‘ahh’s or ‘um’s.   
  
“No, thank you.”  
  
Itachi gestured to the sofa. Naruto sat down and Itachi took the chair angled towards it.  
  
“I, uh . . .” Naruto tried to be being.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Itachi said.   
  
Naruto had been looking at the floor, but he looked up in surprise; he was going to apologize. “Huh?”  
  
“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. As an Uchiha I pride myself on my ability to read people, but I guess without the Sharingan I’m not so good at it. I was probably projecting my own feelings on you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . . molest you. I would rather we forget it happened and continue being friends.”  
  
Huh? Wait, he was going to lose Itachi just like that? He was going to give up just like that? Huh?! Naruto’s mind was in a whirl.   
  
“No, I, uh . . .”  
  
Itachi’s eyes were wide. No? His mind whirled. Did Naruto mean ‘no, he didn’t want to continue being friends,’ ‘no, he didn’t come here because of that,’ or ‘no, he didn’t want to forget about it?’ Itachi’s heart was hammering.  
  
“I came to apologize about how I reacted,” Naruto finally said. “I, uh, you know, just felt confused. I . . . really like you.” Naruto blushed.  
  
Itachi paled. What? He had a chance? Naruto did return his feelings?  
  
“I just sort of panicked, you know,” Naruto continued.  
  
Itachi’s soft, fond smile was back. “I understand. Will you go out with me?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“You said you like me. I love you.”  
  
“Huh?!”  
  
Itachi’s smile became broader. “I’ve enjoyed your company since I came home and come to value you. I’ve never felt like this about any one before. I love you.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
It just came out of Naruto’s mouth so reflexively that Itachi had to laugh. “I just do.”  
  
“What about Sasuke? Does he know . . . you know . . . he won’t be disgusted by either of us? Oh, he’ll be pissed. At me!”  
  
“My brother can’t really say anything about us.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
Itachi looked at him with amusement and pity. “You haven’t noticed?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“He and Kakashi have been lovers since practically the day we arrived in Konoha.”  
  
Naruto pulled back. “Wha—?”  
  
“You really didn’t know? They were getting rather close while we were planning the war against Akatsuki and were sleeping together almost as soon as they got back. I’ve asked them to stop doing it here because I’m sick of listening to them fuck. Who thought they would both be loud in bed?”  
  
Naruto was stunned.   
  
“Sasuke knows I’m gay anyway.” Itachi’s eyes grew a little sad and distant.  
  
“But I’m not.”  
  
Itachi’s eyes were a little sad. “Then let’s just forget it and go back to being friends.”  
  
“But I . . .” Itachi waited patiently. “With you I might . . .”  
  
“Don’t do this to yourself now. Go home and think about it. I’ll be here when you come to a decision. If you do decide against the idea, I want things to go back to the way they were. I am sorry about suprising you like that.”  
  
Naruto wanted to say ‘It’s okay,’ but he’d really thrown Naruto for a loop. He just nodded instead and left.  
  
As he walked home he thought about Sakura. Did he really want to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her? The more he thought about it, he didn’t think so. Sasuke was a crush; he’d never really thought about what marrying her would mean.  
  
Then there was Hinata. She was cute and caring and would probably make any man a wonderful, attentive wife. But did Naruto love her? No. He’d sort of avoided her after she risked her life to save his and confessed to him. The only woman he’d ever had interest in and the only woman who had shown interest in him and he didn’t really want to marry either of them.  
  
Then there was Itachi. Beautiful, refined, gorgeous, powerful, regal Itachi. To spend the rest of his life with the elder Uchiha . . .   
  
Wait, wait. Being gay or straight was about sex, right? Who was he more sexually attracted to? A naked woman? Yeah, that was nice. Now, Itachi stepping into the water to bathe.   
  
Naruto stopped dead. Luckily he was the only one walking on this section of sidewalk so no one bumped into him. He slowly staggered to the side of a building and leaned against it. Itachi’s perfect pale skin, his long, silken hair, beautiful black eyes, those tear trough lines that made him look perpetually sad even when he smiled, that slim, lithe, elegant body, well formed ass, his sizable cock, and his grace. Naruto was turned on, much more than he was thinking about a naked woman.   
  
He came back to himself and hurried home. Naruto refused to give up. He thought about the most beautiful woman he could with large breasts and thought about her in the slutist poses, doing the slutist things. Nope, nothing compared to just seeing Itachi naked.   
  
But love isn’t just about sex. Who did he enjoy spending time with the most? Itachi. Itachi, then Sasuke, then Shikamaru, then Kiba, Choji, Neji, Kakashi, Sakura, Hinata. Oh, fuck. Yeah, maybe he was gay.  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi took Naruto out to dinner and tried to put the younger man at ease. He restrained himself from looking lustfully at Naruto and didn’t touch him at all. They met every day for the next three, two lunches and another dinner. On the latter, they ended up staying at the restaurant for three hours eating, talking, and drinking tea. Naruto walked Itachi home, still concerned for him even though Tsunade had given him a clean bill of health. Naruto internally justified his actions that Itachi was nearly blind. He was just making sure he got home okay.  
  
Itachi stopped at his door. “Do you want to stay over or do you want to call it a night?”  
  
“What about Sasuke?”  
  
“He’s spending the night with Kakashi.”  
  
Naruto blushed. He hadn’t really come to terms with the fact his best friend and sensei were a couple; couldn’t until he saw it for himself. “Oh.” Cock and brain argued. “I’ll-ll-ll stay,” Naruto stuttered. Cock won. He really didn’t know what to expect. Would they go all the way? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. His cock did, but he didn’t.  
  
“Don’t be scared,” Itachi cooed. He opened the door and let Naruto in. Itachi led the way into his bedroom. Naruto nervously followed.   
  
“Just relax,” Itachi said. “Are you sure you want to do this? I want you, but I can wait. I’d rather wait until you’re comfortable.”  
  
“I don’t think I’ll ever be more comfortable.”  
  
Itachi came up to him and touched Naruto’s cheek as warning and kissed him. Naruto had never been kissed before that last time Itachi had done it and wasn’t sure what to do so he let Itachi do what he willed. He melted into the kiss and he began to kiss back, trying to mimic Itachi. Itachi’s other hand went to Naruto’s yellow hair. He played with Naruto’s hair as he kissed him deeply. He liked Naruto’s natural taste and savored it.  
  
But he had better things to get to. He started stripping Naruto, pulling the zipper down on his orange and black jacket. He stripped it from Naruto’s shoulders and couldn’t resist moving his lips down to the newly exposed neck. He sucked at it and kissed the tender skin there. Naruto gasped with new pleasure. Itachi’s hands slid under the black undershirt Naruto wore to feel the hard abdominal muscles then moved to his sides.  
  
Itachi pulled away and striped his own clothes. Naruto was a second catching up and stripping as well.   
  
Suddenly, Itachi grabbed him from behind and felt up his body, pressing his hard cock into the cleft of his ass.  
  
“Naruto,” Itachi sighed against his neck. Naruto could feel his cock weep precum just at the sound of Itachi’s voice. His skin puckered and his hair stood on end. If it hadn’t been for the fact Naruto couldn’t see anything of Itachi at the moment, he might have believed his intense reaction to Itachi was a genjutsu.  
  
Itachi guided him to the bed and pressed him down in such a way Naruto was on his hands and knees. Itachi’s body slithered down Naruto’s back. He was surprised to feel Itachi’s tongue come out and lick at his cheek. It felt good, but embarrassing.  
  
“Itachi,” Naruto whined in protect.  
  
“Shh.” Itachi spread the globe of Naruto’s ass apart and licked at his puckered entrance. Naruto gasped and tried to pull away, too embarrassed by Itachi’s actions. “Calm down, Naruto, I know what I’m doing. This isn’t my first time.”  
  
He lapped at the rosebud again. Naruto tired to relax and focus on how good it felt. Itachi started stabbing at the virgin entrance, pressing his tongue against it, then demanding entry. Naruto tried to deny him, mortified, but Itachi’s tongue would brook no denial and finally penetrated Naruto’s body. It was hot and the ring of muscle was protesting his invasion. Finally, Naruto gave up the struggle and relaxed. Itachi started tongue fucking him, driving his tongue in and out quickly, then slowing down. It felt so good. Then Itachi’s tongue went deeper and Naruto felt his lips close around his opening. Itachi’s tongue moved around inside of him and he started sucking on the rim of his ass. It felt so good and so dirty.   
  
After a little more of that, Itachi pulled away and lubed up his fingers. “Turn onto your back,” Itachi instructed in a sultry voice. Naruto obeyed without thinking about it.  
  
Naruto gasped in pleasure and surprised when Itachi went down on him and didn’t notice the first finger penetrating his body. Soon he realized that something was moving in and out of him. A second finger joined the first and they began scissoring to stretch him and massage his inner muscles to relax and let a third finger enter him. Itachi carefully stretched him, preparing him for his first fuck.  
  
Itachi remembered how no matter how much Kisame tried to prepare him that first time, it still unbelievably hurt when Kisame entered him with his enormous cock. He didn’t want that for Naruto, but he didn’t flatter himself that he was that large either; Kisame had been thicker than Itachi’s wrist.  
  
Meanwhile, Itachi’s tongue was slithering sinfully against the underside of Naruto’s cock which was still buried in Itachi’s warm mouth. The head was in the back of Itachi’s throat and he swallowed around it and sucked, his lips tight around the base of the shaft, moving a little as he sucked. Naruto wasn’t sure he could handle this; he wanted to cum, but wasn’t quite there yet. He wanted to beg Itachi for release, but what more could Itachi really do?  
  
Then Naruto found out.  
  
Itachi’s middle finger probed deeper and touched something Naruto didn’t even know existed. He saw stars as pleasure exploded within him. In retrospect, Naruto was surprised he didn’t cum immediately. Itachi teased that sensitive bundle of nerves a little, making Naruto writhe and buck into his mouth. He deemed Naruto ready.  
  
Naruto felt empty and abandoned when Itachi’s mouth and fingers left him. Itachi rearranged himself between Naruto’s legs and pressed the head of his lubed cock to his virgin entrance. He stroked Naruto’s thigh as he looked at Naruto’s face. Naruto opened his eyes and they locked with Itachi’s. They were soft and reassuring even as they shone with lust.   
  
Itachi lifted Naruto’s left knee to give him a better angle and pushed. Naruto’s body gave a little, but resisted the entire head.  
  
“Relax,” Itachi cooed.  
  
Naruto tried to obey and Itachi pressed in again. The head went in and was swallowed as if Naruto were sucking him in. Fuck, it felt so good to be inside someone again. Kisame had been gracious about letting Itachi fuck him. If he weren’t concentrating on the feeling of Naruto’s tight body around his cock Itachi would have smiled at the memory of Kisame complaining of pain when he first entered him even after Kisame had torn Itachi apart not too long before that.  
  
Itachi pressed in slowly, letting his slight weight drive him in as he leaned in little by little. Itachi braced himself with a hand next to Naruto’s shoulder as he bottomed out. He was fully seated in his beautiful, blond lover. He’d shut his eyes, but now he opened them and looked down at Naruto’s face again. It was squinshed up, though not in pain.  
  
“Are you alright?” Itachi asked, his voice coming out weak and breathless.  
  
“Feels so strange.”  
  
Itachi smiled. “Yeah, it does. It’ll feel really good in a minute. Let me know when you want me to move.”  
  
Naruto only waited a few seconds before saying, “Now.”  
  
Itachi dragged his erection out to the head and then slowly pressed back in. He kept up this slow pace until Naruto seemed to relax even more. Itachi sped up and started angling around to find his prostate again. Naruto cried out. Score.  
  
Itachi picked up speed once again and battered that spot relentlessly. Naruto rocked to get more of that feeling. He was grunting with every thrust and Itachi also lost control over his voice, grunting when Naruto’s body tightened around him. Naruto reached out and put his hands in Itachi’s hair, just wanting to feel him. They were both getting close. Itachi refused to cum before Naruto and he redoubled his efforts. Naruto whined, so close to orgasm it was painful.   
  
“Naruto,” Itachi cooed his name. That did it; Naruto was sent over the precipice. His hips bucked up and his back bowed as he let out a cry which was a horribly distorted attempt at Itachi’s name. Itachi’s cock was wrung of its cum with the violence of Naruto’s orgasm. Naruto settled down limply into Itachi’s mattress, pulling his body off Itachi’s cock. Itachi settled down on top of him and kissed him. Naruto responded and they kissed lazily and sloppily.   
  
Itachi pulled away and licked up Naruto’s cum from his chest and abdomen. “Hmmm, taste a little like ramen.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Itachi licked up all he could, moved over Naruto and kissed him again, passing the small load of cum into his mouth.  
  
“It does kinda.”  
  
Itachi smiled and moved his hips over Naruto’s, rubbing their erections together. They were both mostly hard and Itachi reentered him. This time he just rocked his hips to gently fuck him as he lay on Naruto and kissed him. Itachi snaked his arms around Naruto’s head and waist. Naruto kept one hand in Itachi’s hair and the other on his back. After they ran out of breath, Itachi sucked on Naruto’s neck, marking him. They made love slowly, once again Itachi holding his orgasm back until Naruto cam first.   
  
Itachi slid out and off Naruto and pulled him into a spooning position. He kissed the golden hair. “I love you, Naruto.”  
  
“I love you too.”  
  
Itachi snuggled in closer and fell asleep.


	4. Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to note that this story sort of replaces everything that happened in the manga after the battle between the brothers. So Naruto did not train with Bee or fight Pein and go Kyuubi on his ass.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”  
  
Naruto bolted up while Itachi just rolled onto his back not wanting to wake up. But he was forced to when Naruto pressed back against him in a futile attempt to get further away from the door. Itachi pushed Naruto away and sat up. He looked at the door to see a very shocked little brother and an amused silver haired Jounin behind him—though all he really saw was someone Sasuke’s height and build with black hair and someone Kakashi’s height and build with a brush of silver hair, no longer able to recognize faces at anything closer than a foot.   
  
“What time is it, Otouto?” Itachi asked groggily.  
  
“What the fuck are you two doing in bed together?” Sasuke demanded.  
  
“We _were_ sleeping,” Itachi growled.  
  
“I think it’s pretty obvious what they were doing, ‘uke,” Kakashi said.  
  
Sasuke entered the room, too shocked to admonish Kakashi for the use of his TMI nickname. Sasuke reached out to grab Naruto by the hair. Itachi was fast, he grabbed Sasuke’s wrist.   
  
“Otouto,” he growled, “I love you, more than my soul, and I’m eternally grateful for your forgiveness and bringing me home, but you really don’t understand when you are terribly unwelcome. Don’t you dare touch my boyfriend or we’ll see whose Susanoo is the most powerful.”  
  
Naruto had shrunk back against the headboard and was staring at Itachi with wide eyes. Sasuke was in utter shock. Kakashi stood in the doorway wondering if this was going to delay breakfast.   
  
Impatient with the immobile Uchiha, Kakashi came up and put an arm around Sasuke’s waist and pulled him away; Itachi released his grip as he Sasuke was pulled away.  
  
“Let’s leave the love birds alone and have breakfast,” Kakashi said.  
  
That brought Sasuke back to himself. “Do you only ever think with your stomach?”  
  
“No, usually with something lower.” Kakashi shut the door.  
  
Itachi kissed Naruto and pulled him back down. “Go back to sleep.” Itachi was out in a second, his arms still around Naruto. With an amused huff, Naruto fell back to sleep too, confidant that Itachi could and would protect him from a protective, possessive, wrathful little brother.  
  
\-----  
  
But Itachi couldn’t be with him all the time.  
  
Kakashi had dragged Sasuke out of the house, so Naruto and Itachi were alone when Naruto woke up later that morning.   
  
It felt so good to wake up with someone’s arms around him. But the good feeling wore off quickly. Itachi was clutching him tightly and Naruto couldn’t help but wonder if Itachi really loved him or just wanted someone, anyone. He couldn’t know who he was holding when he was asleep. Naruto was starting to regret this whole thing. He wanted to get away to his own apartment and away from Itachi; he’d forget his doubts if he stayed with Itachi and he wanted to think clearly.  
  
Naruto tried to pull out of Itachi’s arms; Itachi just clung to him tighter. He groaned and nuzzled his face into Naruto’s back.   
  
But then again, what if Naruto was just being insecure? What if Itachi really did love him? Then Naruto remembered Sasuke’s reaction to finding them together. He was screwed; Sasuke was going to kill him. But anyone would react that way to finding their best friend in bed with their sibling.   
  
Naruto tired again to ease his body from Itachi’s grasp and Itachi finally gave up and turned over onto his back, releasing Naruto. Naruto tried to get out of bed without waking Itachi, but Itachi was a shinobi.  
  
“Naruto?”  
  
Naruto panicked and looked back at the sleepy Uchiha. He could tell Itachi couldn’t see his expression since he didn’t look concerned. Itachi’s bad eyesight was a relief right now.  
  
“I should get home and take a shower and change.”  
  
Itachi hummed in either agreement or understanding. Naruto finished dressing and fled.   
  
\-----  
  
Naruto did go home, shower, and dress in fresh clothes. He decided there was only one thing to do: go talk to Iruka.   
  
However, on his way to Iruka’s apartment . . .   
  
“Uzumaki!”  
  
Naruto cringed and stopped on a rooftop. Sasuke landed nearby, enraged.  
  
Naruto backed up, losing his footing and falling backward, frightened by Sasuke’s furious eyes. He covered his own eyes. “You’re not supposed to use your Sharingan!”   
  
“I don’t need it to gut you,” Sasuke growled.  
  
Just then a silvered haired Jounin swooped in to grab Sasuke around the waist again and cover his eyes with his other hand. “You are just like a falcon, you know that?” Kakashi said in his normal disinterest voice. “I should get you a hood that covers your eyes to calm you the fuck down.”  
  
“He’s fucking my brother!” Sasuke argued.  
  
“Actually, from the looks of things, I’d say he was being fucked _by_ your brother.” Sasuke struggled in Kakashi’s arms. “Come, bird, come; let’s go home to big brother Itachi. You should talk to your brother before you try to kill his lover.”  
  
Kakashi held Sasuke tightly as he leaped away. Naruto lay on the roof for a minute, more adrenaline pumping through his system at his near escape than when he was having sex with Itachi.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke wiggled out of Kakashi’s grasp and Kakashi landed to let him go. They walked the rest of the way back to the house.   
  
Itachi was freshly washed and lounging on the sofa when the other pair of lovers returned. He totally did look like a man who had just gotten laid for the first time in weeks: content and at peace with the world. Actually, Sasuke thought he looked like a sleepy cat stretching on its back. He couldn’t be mad seeing his beloved brother looking so comfortable. Kakashi disappeared into the kitchen to leave the brothers alone.   
  
Sasuke sat down near his brother. “I’m sort of sorry for this morning.”  
  
“Yeah, I was a little out of line as well.”  
  
“Do you really . . . love him?”  
  
“I do.”  
  
“Why?” Sasuke couldn’t keep the insult toward Naruto out of his voice.  
  
“I can’t explain it. Why do you love Kakashi?”  
  
Kakashi leaned back to hear better, but neither of the brothers noticed—or cared.  
  
“I can’t explain it either.” Sasuke stopped and seriously gave it thought. “I guess . . . he’s always been supportive and understood me. To an extent. It wasn’t so much his looks since I never saw his face until after I admitted I loved him. Though I have to say everything I saw before that I liked. I feel I can talk to him and I feel safe and loved when I’m with him. I can’t really put it into words.”  
  
“I enjoy Naruto’s company and I do find him attractive. I don’t know, I just love him. I feel good around him.”  
  
“But you deserve someone much more sophisticated and intelligent and beautiful. Naruto’s a great guy, a loyal friend and all, but to spend the rest of your life with him? I love you so much, Aniki, I just want you to be sure and be happy. Naruto’s . . . Who else have you been around? I don’t want you to attach yourself to the first person you like. I would think Neji or Shikamaru, they’re both much more sedate. You’re not outgoing or energetic. Naruto’s a whirling ball of sunshine! He seems like a partier, you’re not. Can you really live around someone as energetic, loud, and outgoing? He has tons of friends.”  
  
Itachi took a little offense at first, on his behalf and Naruto’s, but then Sasuke started making some sense. He couldn’t even throw Sasuke’s words back at him because Kakashi did share Sasuke’s temperament and lack of a large number of friends. He did start thinking about living with Naruto and he had to doubt himself: could he suffer through being around a crowd of younger shinobi?   
  
Sasuke saw Itachi’s expression fall and felt guilty for taking the wind out of his sails. “I’m sorry; I’m just worried about you. I . . . Naruto’s not the person I would have thought you’d want. Don’t listen to me, do what makes you happy.”  
  
“I admit I didn’t really think about how his personality and life would affect mine.” Itachi sighed. “I’ll think about it.”  
  
“I’m sorry for making you doubt him. I want you to be happy.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“Thank you for not objecting to Kakashi. You could have because of the age difference.”  
  
“No, I know that your personalities match and I can understand the affection that must be between you. It’s really the maturity level that concerns me. You’re just as—if not more—mature as Kakashi. You’ve just reminded me about Naruto’s level of maturity and I’m now worried about the people I’ll probably have to be around.”  
  
“Does he love you?”  
  
Itachi sighed again. “He panicked when I made my feelings known, that’s why he was avoiding me. But I think he does. He said he does.”  
  
It was Sasuke’s turn to sigh. “I hope he does.” He came over to crouch and kissed Itachi’s forehead then rested his forehead against Itachi’s. “I don’t want him to break your heart.”  
  
Itachi smiled weakly. “I’m used to it.”  
  
\-----  
  
Naruto finally made it to Iruka’s and told him about his budding relationship with the elder Uchiha.   
  
“Whoa,” Iruka said. “That’s unexpected.”  
  
“Tell me about it.”  
  
“Sasuke’s reaction, however, isn’t. That seems very Sasuke-like.”  
  
“I’m worried that Itachi’s desperate, you know. Sasuke said that only Shikamaru, Neji and me go to see Itachi. He’s nearly blind too. What can he see in me? He’s older, more mature, smarter, gorgeous . . . perfect. I’m just a loud-mouthed loser.”  
  
“Don’t put yourself down,” Iruka admonished. “But you are right about Itachi. He’s very refined. I can’t image him being attracted to anyone not as . . . quiet as he is.”  
  
“When they switch eyes and Itachi can see again, he’ll realize he’s made a mistake.”  
  
“I don’t think so; you are an attractive man.”  
  
“But not as good looking as him.”  
  
“Itachi is one of the most beautiful people in the world, but that doesn’t really affect who he thinks is attractive.”  
  
“He was around Kisame for . . . I don’t know how long. Kisame was ugly. Anyone is better looking than that.”  
  
“I’m afraid I don’t have any advice for you. Except to ask: do you really love Itachi?”  
  
Naruto took a deep breath. “I’m not sure. I really enjoyed last night and he’s gorgeous. I like spending time with him. I don’t know.”  
  
“That’s something you really need to figure out. You owe it to Itachi as well as yourself.”  
  
\-----  
  
Kakashi gave the brothers space, staying in the kitchen cleaning up and then leaning against the counter and reading his ever-present book until Sasuke came to him.   
  
“Well?” Kakashi put away his book.  
  
“I made Itachi doubt his feelings and now I feel like shit.” He came up and put his arms around Kakashi, leaning his head against Kakashi’s chest. He’d diminished in height because of his sudden depression. He straightened sensing strong chakra approach. A masked ANBU appeared at the window.  
  
“Uchiha-san, we could use your help on a mission.”  
  
“My eye-sight is deteriorating; I’m not allowed to go on missions for a while. I would if I could.”  
  
“Understood. Good luck with the surgery, Uchiha-san.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“Hatake-sempai,” the ANBU acknowledged him before jumping away.  
  
“Next week,” Sasuke mused. His eyebrows went up. “Is Itachi just desperate to have someone around like you will be for me?”  
  
“You’re brother isn’t that short-sighted. So to speak. He’s always planned a hundred steps ahead, years ahead; I don’t think he’d change his thinking with his love life. First love though . . .” His one visible eye looked at Sasuke with palpable affection.   
  
“Am I really your first love, or are you just refereeing to my first love?”  
  
“I’ve had lovers, but I’ve never been in love before. And I was actually just refereeing to Itachi and Naruto.”  
  
“Naruto,” Sasuke grumbled. “He was in love with Sakura; this isn’t his first love.”  
  
“Isn’t it?”  
  
“Are you just going to gossip all day or are you going to make lunch?” Itachi called from what the lovers hoped was out of normal earshot. After they stood in mortified silence for a few seconds, Itachi added, “No, I can’t hear what you’re saying. Just make lunch; I never ate breakfast.”  
  
\-----  
  
Naruto had been thinking about what he really felt for Itachi and he couldn’t say anything definite. He decided to go see Itachi again and risk seeing Sasuke. It was late afternoon and Sasuke didn’t seem to be around, but Itachi’s chakra was inviting before the Uchiha even knew he was there.   
  
Itachi beamed at him when Itachi opened the door.   
  
“I’m glad my brother didn’t murder you.”  
  
“Yeah. He tried, but Kakashi stopped him.”  
  
“Come in; they’ve gone out.”  
  
Itachi was so happy to see his new lover when he opened the door that he forgot his new misgivings. They came back to him as Naruto walked past him. He wanted them gone. _Let me have a few moments of happiness in my life,_ he pleaded to no one in particular.  
  
“Want to go out? I haven’t eaten yet,” Itachi said with convincing false cheer. “Sasuke told me about this small, romantic place Kakashi took him to.”  
  
Seeing Itachi cheerful was enough to make Naruto’s heart swell. Yeah, he loved Itachi. He could live on those smiles. He couldn’t stop himself from hugging Itachi. Itachi was surprised, but hugged him back. Yeah, just for a little while let him forget his misgivings and enjoy his little ball of sunshine. It was so strange that they were like this now after their history, but Itachi never did physically assault Naruto come to think of it. Itachi smiled at that fact.  
  
“I do love you, Itachi. Let’s go. Although, I don’t have a lot of money.”  
  
“I do.” He nuzzled Naruto’s hair. He loved holding the blond in his arms. He let go and grabbed his cloak.  
  
After dinner, Naruto again escorted Itachi home. Itachi stopped when he realized Sasuke was home.  
  
“Probably shouldn’t give Sasuke a reason to freak out. Listen, I want you to know I’m okay if you want to hide our relationship. I don’t like being the center of attention or having people gossip about my life, but I also do love you. Hide it, flaunt it, it’s up to you.”  
  
“Yeah, thanks. I really don’t know how to tell anyone about it.”  
  
Itachi kissed him. “I would like to meet your friends though; they don’t have to know about our relationship if you don’t want them to.”  
  
“Maybe we can have a party!”  
  
Itachi inwardly cringed. “If you like. What would we be celebrating?”  
  
Naruto pouted and looked pensive trying to think of a reason. It warmed Itachi’s heart, but he was concerned about what Sasuke had said. Could he be comfortable in Naruto’s world? Some of that sadness made it into his eyes and Naruto noticed.   
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
“Of course. I should get home before Sasuke worries and hunts us down. Think about that party. Goodnight.”  
  
“Goodnight.”  
  
Naruto may have been dense, but he understood that something was wrong. He went home.  
  
Itachi entered the house he shared with his brother to find said little brother waiting up on the sofa. Alone.   
  
“I thought you couldn’t stand to be separated from Kakashi for five minutes,” Itachi deadpanned and leaned back against the door.   
  
“We didn’t want to annoy you again. We can spend one night apart. Are you okay?”  
  
“Just tired, Otouto. I feel so old.”  
  
“You were with Naruto?”  
  
“Yeah. Honestly, he seems more mature all of a sudden. I think he’s more comfortable with the idea of us being together now.” Itachi pushed off the door and came to sit on the sofa. Sasuke had curled his legs under himself when he sat up at Itachi’s entrance. “I want to meet his friends, see what I’m in for, and he suggested a party. That depresses me. Then again, I’ve never been to a party. I’d rather just drink tea in a quiet corner.”  
  
“Well, we’re all too young to drink, so it shouldn’t be too wild. I’ll be there—invited or not—so at least you can hang out with me.”  
  
“You won’t be face sucking with Kakashi?”  
  
“I don’t think anyone knows about us yet.”  
  
“Well, Naruto does.”  
  
“Can’t help that. I really don’t care what people think, I just don’t think I have to tell anyone but you.”  
  
“I feel the same way.”  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me before I found you in bed together?”  
  
“I wasn’t sure until that night if we were going to be a couple or not. We also feared what you would do or say.”  
  
“I did overreact.”  
  
Itachi motioned for Sasuke to come closer and Sasuke did, expecting to have to dodge a finger to the forehead, but Itachi just pulled him into his lap and held him back to front.   
  
“You’ll always be my baby brother, but you’re so much heavier. I remember holding you as a newborn.”  
  
“Aniki,” Sasuke whined.   
  
“You have no idea how happy I am to have you back in my life.”  
  
“I think I do; I’m just as happy.”  
  
Itachi kissed his temple. “I’m going to bed. Is Kakashi still going on missions?”  
  
“No. The Hokage wants to make sure he’s around to look after us.”  
  
Itachi rested his chin on Sasuke’s shoulder. “How bad is your eyesight?”  
  
“I can’t read and I have . . . spells, a few seconds of near blindness that make me dizzy, headaches.”  
  
“Everything’s blotches of color. I can’t see in dim light at all anymore.”  
  
“Just a few more days.”  
  
Itachi ruffled Sasuke’s hair. “Worrying won’t do us any good. Goodnight.”  
  
Sasuke stood and hugged Itachi when he stood up. “Goodnight.” Itachi was half way to his room when Sasuke said, “’tachi, I kind of miss sleeping in my Aniki’s bed, you know.”  
  
Itachi smiled. “As long as you don’t snore, Otouto.”  
  
They were both scared and it was nice to chastely cuddle up with each other like they used to when they were kids. 


	5. Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole story takes place before Pein’s attack and before Naruto sort of met his father and as far as this story is concerned, Tobi is Madara.

The next morning, Itachi realized just how close the surgery was. If he wanted Naruto by his side, he needed to speed things up just a little with the blond. For the first time, Itachi came to Naruto’s home. He knew Naruto was home since Kakashi was off the active roster, so it was likely the rest of his team was as well.  
  
Naruto opened the door. “Itachi!”  
  
“I wanted to see you.”   
  
Naruto created a few shadow clones to do the flight of the bumble bee to clean up his apartment while Naruto stalled at the door. Of course Itachi could still see enough to know what Naruto was doing. He was nearly blind, not an idiot.   
  
“I had a thought about that party. Perhaps a show of support before Sasuke and I go under the knife. So to speak.”  
  
The softness of Itachi’s eyes almost distracted Naruto completely from his words. “That’s a great idea.”  
  
“I really just want to meet all your friends; if we’re going to be a couple, I’ll have to at least know them.”  
  
“I get the feeling you don’t really want to have a party.”  
  
“I’ve never been to one and they don’t sound appealing. But if that’s something you like to do, I can do that.”  
  
Naruto’s heart swelled. Itachi was willing to do that for him? Itachi was naturally retiring and he seemed uncomfortable around most people. Considering his past, that wasn’t hard to understand. “We haven’t had many actually. We meet up for dinner more than anything.”  
  
“That would be better.”  
  
“We can go to Yakiniku Q. That’s a great place to eat and talk.”  
  
“That sounds much better. Maybe tomorrow evening, if your friends are available.”  
  
“You can meet most of them at least.”  
  
The clones finished and Naruto invited Itachi inside. Naruto had been to the Uchiha house several times, but this was Itachi’s first time in Naruto’s apartment. It was plain, but orderly—not just because his clones were just cleaning the place. Naruto was a little nervous with Itachi looking around, afraid he wouldn’t approve.   
  
“I’ve lived here all my life,” Naruto said.  
  
“They tore down my old home.”  
  
“I found that out after Sasuke left.”  
  
Itachi looked out the window. “I’m kind of glad. Bad memories.” He looked around again. “Is this is where your parents lived before Minato became Hokage, right?”  
  
“My parents? You know who my parents are?”  
  
Itachi was as shocked as Naruto. “You don’t know?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Why wouldn’t they tell you?” Itachi really had no way to back out of this. “Your parents were Minato Namikaze and Kushnia Uzumaki.”  
  
“Yondamie?”  
  
“You look like him. You have your mother’s personality though, as much as I can remember. Our mothers were friends, not close, but friends. She brought me with her once that I remember. It may have been many times, but I was very young at the time. I was only four when the Kyuubi attacked. I hope I didn’t upset you.” Naruto’s hands were clinched.  
  
“No, no. I’m happy to hear that. I just don’t understand why no one told me.”  
  
“At first it was to protect you, but once you got old enough, they should have told you. Especially now that the danger has passed.” Naruto looked determined. “I think Tsunade-sama is going to be pissed at me. Wait until after the surgery to yell at her, ya?”  
  
Naruto calmed down with Itachi’s smile. “I can wait another week to ask her.”  
  
“Thank you. I’ll ask Kakashi why you weren’t told and ask him if this was your parents’ place.”  
  
Itachi’s eyes grew even softer as he stared at Naruto. He couldn’t stop himself; he took Naruto’s face in his hands and kissed him. Naruto was caught off guard, but he reciprocated. Itachi in his black cloak seemed to envelop the shorter blond. Naruto was rather submissive and Itachi liked that.   
  
After a nice little make out session, Itachi took his lips away, but not far. “I love you,” Itachi breathed.   
  
Naruto looked up into those black eyes. “I love you too.”  
  
Itachi’s smile was slightly sad, but genuine. “Sasuke’s . . . okay with it now. He’s still not convinced, but he shouldn’t try to kill you again.” He pulled Naruto to his chest.   
  
“What do you mean ‘convinced?’”  
  
Itachi wanted to kick himself. “That we’re right for each other.”  
  
“I’ve been thinking about that.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“I want to try this, I love you.”  
  
“I’ve thought about it too and I want don’t want to give you up. I will if you want me to, but I hope you don’t ask me to leave.” Itachi released him. “I need to get back; Sasuke’s trying to learn to spend a day without Kakashi and he’s suddenly becoming gregarious.” Naruto’s face squinched up, not knowing the word. “I mean he’s lonely.” He affectionately ruffled Naruto’s hair. Itachi’s warm smile eased Naruto’s embarrassment at his ignorance. “Never feel bad about that kind of thing; everyone has to come across those types of words before they can understand them. I’ve kept strange company in my life. See you tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Itachi left Naruto feeling better about everything.  
  
\-----  
  
Naruto was gathering his laundry since his apartment was mostly clean; he might as well make it completely clean.   
  
Kakashi appeared on his window sill. “Yo!”  
  
Naruto jumped back. “Kakashi-sensei! You almost gave me a heart attack.”  
  
“Since our lovers are going to spend the day alone together, I thought it was a good idea for us to have a chat.” Naruto blushed. “Sasuke said that Itachi told you about Sasuke and I.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Kakashi slipped into the room. “I know you probably would have preferred Sasuke or I told you, but I don’t like to talk about myself at all. Are you okay with that?”  
  
“He was your student and you’re so much older than him. But if Itachi’s okay with it . . .” Naruto shrugged.  
  
“Your indifference is reassuring,” Kakashi said dryly. “I really love him. What about you? What are your feelings for the elder Uchiha?”  
  
Naruto grew more uncomfortable. “I love him. But am I really worthy of him?”  
  
“Listen, I knew Itachi when we were in ANBU and I’ve seen a lot of him since he came home; I’ve never seen Itachi so happy. Itachi would smile at his brother, but he’s really happy now. He loves you. If he doesn’t care whether you’re worthy or not, then it’s not an issue. Am I worthy of Sasuke? Of course not. Who is? Who’s worthy of Itachi? No one. Uchiha are of their own rarefied atmosphere.”  
  
Naruto nodded. That did make him feel better. Then he remembered. Kakashi saw the change in Naruto’s face and cringed. He didn’t even know what he was in trouble for.  
  
“You know who my parents were, don’t you?” Naruto demanded.  
  
“Ahhhh . . .” Kakashi was ordered not to say.  
  
“Yondamie and Kushnia Uzumaki?”  
  
“Oh, fuck.”  
  
“Why hasn’t anyone told me?”  
  
“I was ordered not to.”  
  
Naruto softened. “Did they live here?”  
  
Kakashi relaxed; he actually wanted to talk to Naruto about them because his father was Kakashi’s sensei. “Yeah, they did, right after they got married. They kept this place for storage and a retreat away from the Hokage tower after Minato became Hokage. You want to order in and I can tell you all about it.”  
  
\-----  
  
It was probably the first time Kakashi was ever on time and that was only because Sasuke was dragging him. They and Itachi were meeting Naruto and his friends at Yakiniku Q. Itachi was nervous, but having his little brother around did make him feel better.  
  
Everyone but Sakura from their age group was there; Iruka had papers to grade, but assured Naruto that he would have lunch with him and Itachi soon.   
  
It was a little cramped but they made do. Sasuke and Kakashi were practically on top of each other at the end of the table, Naruto and Itachi sat next to each other of course, Shikamaru and Choji sat across from them. To Choji’s left was Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Neji. To Naruto’s right was Sai, Ino, TenTen, and Lee.   
  
First, they all toasted the pair of returned Uchiha and wished them luck with the surgery. Then the food came and they splintered into smaller conversations that broke and reformed in different configurations.  
  
Sasuke always looked a little pensive—or like he had a partially thick stick up his ass—so no one took note of his scheming. He was watching Naruto and Itachi watch everyone else. They were both measuring their companions. He also noticed that they hadn’t mentioned they were together nor did they do anything to suggest it; they didn’t touch, didn’t sit too close to each other, nothing. In contrast, Sasuke couldn’t sit any closer to Kakashi unless he sat in his lap. Then again, the space he and Kakashi were forced to share was extremely small. Naruto and Itachi didn’t know how these others would react to them being in a homosexual relationship. Sasuke came to a decision.   
  
As they were all nearing the end of dinner and Sasuke and Kakashi were finished eating, Sasuke turned to snake around Kakashi and lean forward against the older man’s back, draping his head over Kakashi’s shoulder and pressing his—albeit soft—cock against his lower back. Kakashi turned his head toward him, but it was his covered eye so he couldn’t see him. Given Sasuke’s actions, Kakashi knew that Sasuke wasn’t attempting hide their relationship anymore. Kakashi’s uncovered eye was visible to everyone and they could see the affectionate look there, Sasuke—oddly—choosing to put his head on the shoulder of Kakashi’s blindside. Sasuke whispered something and then leaned his head against Kakashi’s a little, earning him a small, mask-covered kiss.   
  
Kiba gapped, Lee’s chin was practically on the floor, the others were just shocked. For Itachi and Naruto, they were surprised that Sasuke would do that. In public.   
  
Sasuke looked up innocently. “What? We’re lovers.”  
  
Kiba and Lee looked ridiculous. Sasuke put his arms around Kakashi’s neck rather than around his chest and gave everyone a sultry, challenging look as if someone would try to take away what was his or say something about it.   
  
“What did you say, love?” Kakashi asked. “I didn’t quite catch that.”  
  
“I said, ‘I want to go home.’”  
  
Kakashi raised his eyebrows, showing that he expected more than just a walk home. Sasuke disengaged and they both stood.   
  
“Excuse us,” Sasuke said.  
  
Itachi smirked. _Devious little brother._ “I think I’ll head out too.” Naruto started to stand as well. “Stay. Kakashi will make sure neither of us walk into a pole on the way home.” He used his Sharingan to say telepathically to Naruto, _Now you all have a legitimate reason to talk about whether you’re friends will accept our relationship._ “Goodnight.”  
  
The Sharingan users left.  
  
“Holy shit,” Kiba said. “Sasuke’s gay?” He turned to Naruto. “Did you know?”  
  
“Yeah. Itachi and I have been on a lot of missions together and he mentioned it. Sasuke hasn’t hung out with me much since he came home; he’s been with Kakashi. And Kakashi did talk to me about it recently.”  
  
“Does Sakura know?” Shikamaru asked.  
  
“I don’t think so.”  
  
“Who would have thought Kakashi-san was gay?” Neji said. “He reads enough of that Icha Icha smut.”  
  
“Have you read it?” Shikamaru asked. “Is is all straight?”  
  
“It is.” Neji may have answered the second question and implicitly answered the first, but a Hyuuga would be damned before he directly admitted to reading erotica.   
  
“It any good?”  
  
“It has an interesting plot.”  
  
“Suuure,” Kiba teased.  
  
“It’s very hetro,” Neji said and took a drink to end the conversation.   
  
“Probably bi then,” Shikamaru concluded. “If a straight guy was going to decide to bat for the other team, then it would be for an Uchiha. As troublesome as it is, even I have to admit, they’re both gorgeous.”  
  
There was a general agreement.   
  
“It’s Sasuke’s personality that’s unattractive.”  
  
There was another general agreement.  
  
“Are you okay with Sasuke?” Naruto asked.   
  
“As long as he doesn’t hit on me,” Kiba said. “Looks like that won’t be an issue; Sasuke looks possessive. Kakashi seems like the type to murder anyone Sasuke even flirted with so he really better never come on to me.”  
  
“They’re really into each other,” Naruto said. “Itachi said they were keeping him up so he exiled them to Kakashi’s apartment a few times.”  
  
They all laughed.   
  
“Which one’s the screamer?” Kiba asked.  
  
“Probably Kakashi,” Shino said. “Why? Sasuke never raises his voice.”  
  
“Naw, man,” Kiba said, “it’s definitely Sasuke. You saw him, he’s the uke. Man, that must suck for Itachi, having to hear his little brother beg to be fucked.” He laughed. “Damn, man, thinking of the little bastard is getting me hard.”  
  
Neji relaxed a little more. “What about Itachi? He’s the one I’d consider ‘batting for the other team’ for.”  
  
Naruto couldn’t help saying “Yeah” a little wistfully. Everyone eyed him.  
  
“You’re sweet on Itachi!” Kiba pronounced.   
  
Naruto gave his best impression of a dear in headlights. Hinata blushed scarlet and looked down in disappointment. Even Neji chuckled. “Go for it,” Neji said. “If Itachi shoots you down, you probably aren’t the first straight guy to come onto him.”  
  
At least Neji made it clear Naruto was straight. Well, in every way except for loving Itachi and being fucked by him.  
  
“I bet every member of Akatsuki came on to him at some point,” Neji continued.  
  
“There were probably other members of Akatsuki that didn’t survive hitting on him,” Kiba laughed.  
  
“You guys are cool with that kind of thing?” Naruto asked.  
  
“I hate flamers,” Kiba said. “There’s no reason to flaunt it. It’s annoying. What a guy does in his bedroom his is own business.” The way he looked away and took a drink led the more perceptive among them to believe that Kiba had some interesting kinks.  
  
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Naruto said.   
  
“Itachi, huh?” Kiba stopped to think. He suddenly shook his head. “No, I got get my head out of the gutter. Givin’ myself a boner!”  
  
“Oh?” Shikamaru asked. “You were thinking of Itachi?”  
  
Kiba put his hand over his crotch and moved it out and in as if he was guiding someone’s head as they gave him a blowjob. Naruto and Lee both spit out their drinks. Neji chuckled darkly.   
  
“But I don’t swing that way,” Kiba argued. “But damn those two are so hot! I bet their mother was hotter than hell!” He looked at Naruto. “Hey, you ever seen a picture of Uchiha-haha?” [-haha is the suffix for mother, -chichi is father]  
  
“No.”  
  
“I bet she was a looker.”  
  
“You’re hot on your friend’s mother?” Tenten asked, appalled.  
  
“Ever consider that they got their looks from their father?” Neji added.  
  
“No way! I bet she was such a MILF!”  
  
“Kiba!” Ino did not approve of him talking about a dead woman like that.  
  
“Anyone else here gay?” Kiba asked. No one volunteered. “Naruto?”  
  
“No, just for Itachi.” He blushed.   
  
“Awesome! Let me know when you score!” Kiba gave Naruto two thumbs up.  
  
Their conversation drifted off to other areas, but Naruto was relieved; no one would ostracize him for being in love with Itachi.  
  
Except maybe Sakura. But it was Kakashi who had to worry about her.  
  
\-----  
  
“Please wait half an hour until, until I’m asleep, before you start fucking like rabbits, alright?”  
  
And Itachi was gone. He said before they started ‘fucking,’ nothing about foreplay. Kakashi and Sasuke stripped each other and started making out while sitting on the bed. Sasuke tried not to hum to loudly as Kakashi fisted his cock. Sasuke reached over to return the gesture.  
  
Kakashi loved Sasuke’s taste and the feel of his lips as he licked and sucked them. The slickness of the insides of his cheeks reminded him of how his insides felt around his cock. Then when Sasuke forced his tongue into his mouth, the feeling was so intimate and exciting. Light caresses to his tongue, the roof of his mouth, and his cheeks were as enticing as soft, gentle strokes to his cock.   
  
Sasuke truly enflamed his cool, easy going soul. He needed this flame in his life. He could have purpose again his life, just to protect and make Sasuke happy. He’d failed before to protect those who meant the most to him, but he would not fail this star his life now revolved around. Fortunately, Sasuke didn’t really need protection.  
  
Kakashi trailed his lips down Sasuke’s throat then to his chest. Sasuke lay back, one hand propping him up, as Kakashi traveled downward. Sasuke pressed the back of his wrist against his mouth as Kakashi licked the underside of the head of Sasuke’s cock.  
  
Kakashi took Sasuke into his mouth and took him deep twice, leaving copious amount of saliva on his shaft. Kakashi went back to fisting Sasuke’s cock and he licked at Sasuke’s thigh and hip. Sasuke moved to lay down normally, forcing Kakashi to let go. He was so hard, his cock was lying against his stomach. Kakashi licked him from base to tip and up to his abs. Sasuke’s wrist muffled Sasuke’s moans of pleasure.   
  
Kakashi once again took the head back in his mouth and quickly pumped the rest of Sasuke’s cock with his hand. Sasuke moaned a warning, but he wouldn’t take his wrist away, fearful of his brother hearing him. Kakashi got the message, but instead of increasing his pace or merely taking his mouth away to let Sasuke cum on his face, Kakashi completely let go of Sasuke’s cock.   
  
He repositioned further between Sasuke’s legs and licked at Sasuke’s scrotum. He licked it and engulfed it with his mouth. He used his tongue and sucked as much as he could with that mouthful. He gently ran his teeth over the skin as he pulled away and closed his teeth on the looser skin at the bottom, giving it a parting tug. Sasuke groaned and bit his wrist.   
  
“I think it’s been about ten minutes,” Kakashi whispered. Sasuke grunted with frustration.   
  
Kakashi continued to lick and mouth his balls, but also used his hand on his cock. Sasuke moaned Kakashi’s name behind his wrist.  
  
“I wish we took the time for you to clean yourself out, I’d tongue fuck you,” Kakashi whispered. Sasuke grumbled. “I’m sure you’re clean enough for this though.” Kakashi lifted Sasuke’s hips a little and prodded his puckered entrance with his stiffened tongue. He just teased the surface and lapped at the surrounding skin.  
  
Sasuke pulled his wrist away for a moment to say, “I want to feel you inside me so bad.”  
  
Kakashi created a small Chidori around his hand in order to see the clock. “Twelve minutes left.” The Chidori died away.  
  
“Fuck,” Sasuke whined. “Itachi’s moving to the further room and you’re moving in.”  
  
“Shhhh,” Kakashi said lowly. “Eleven minutes.”  
  
“I’m going to get some kind of revenge on Itachi,” Sasuke whispered as Kakashi tongued his balls. “Going to throw things at the wall when Naruto’s over.” Sasuke groaned. “Tell them they’re too loud even when they’re not. Purposely listen in to quote one of them.”  
  
“You’re still a vindictive little shit,” Kakashi said against Sasuke’s cock, his lips and breath teasing him.  
  
“And you’re a fucking tease.”  
  
Kakashi took half Sasuke’s cock in his mouth. “Mmmm?” Sasuke started to growl and Kakashi knew him well enough now that he pulled away quickly. “Ahh, ahh, ahh. You need to restrain that temper.”  
  
“You need to just let me cum.”  
  
“No fun. I rather like it when you cum while I’m inside you.”  
  
Sasuke shut his eyes and growled again.  
  
Kakashi’s tone was thoroughly amused. “I could stop and we can wait nine and half minutes. I do like staring at you. Especially when you’re ruffled.”  
  
“I’m tempted to try some . . . discipline the next time we’re at your apartment. Though it might amuse my brother to hear you scream.” Sasuke ground out the last four words.  
  
Kakashi smiled. “Why don’t you think out loud a bit?”  
  
“The only thing I can think about right now is snapping something painful against your balls until you’re screaming.”  
  
“Let me let you in on a little secret,” Kakashi whispered, “ANBU is a den of BDSM. Honestly, I only had sex there once, but sex isn’t required for such things.”  
  
Sasuke’s eye brows went up for a while, but then he scowled. “So you didn’t have sex, but someone else was getting you off?”  
  
“Yep.” Kakashi looked too happy about this.  
  
“Something tells me you miss your ANBU days in some respect.”  
  
“Only thing is, you got to sub before you Dom. If you’re up for a little training, I’ll let you. But Itachi . . . I don’t think he wants to know any more about our sex life than he already does.”  
  
Sasuke snarled, but he didn’t look as angry as he sounded. “You’re right. And my answer is ‘yes.’”  
  
“I’m as happy as if you agreed to marry me.”  
  
“My answer would be ‘yes’ to that too.”  
  
Kakashi’s smile, impossibly, got bigger. “I love you so much that I would if we could. You know, for an up-until-recently virgin who’d never been in a relationship before, you sure are brave and shameless. And apparently adventurous.”   
  
“Personality rather than experience.”  
  
Kakashi looked at the time; his eyes were better attuned to the near complete darkness. “Time’s up.”  
  
“Bastard. Despite the topic of conversation, I’m not as close as I was a minute ago. You better get back to work or I may try a few things without being properly trained.”  
  
“I’d argue that I’ve been doing all the work, but since you’re in a mood and talking about Sadomasochism, I don’t think I trust you with my dick in your mouth right now.”  
  
“Wise man.”  
  
Kakashi went back to sucking him off and lubing Sasuke’s entrance. Sasuke still clamped his wrist over his mouth. There was no guarantee his brother was asleep.   
  
Sasuke was ready and getting near climax. Kakashi pulled away. “You want to add some additional lubrication?” Sasuke took his wrist from his mouth and looked at him affectionately and Kakashi took that as a ‘yes.’ Kakashi moved up to straddle Sasuke’s chest and presented him his cock. Sasuke obligingly took his lover in his mouth and coated his cock with saliva with teasing movements of his tongue. Sasuke opened his mouth to avoid scraping off any of his saliva and Kakashi moved to press it into Sasuke’s body.  
  
Sasuke’s wrist was absent when he gasped at being filled. Kakashi wasn’t worried because it wasn’t loud enough to reach Itachi’s ears, but mostly because he was gasping too at being engulfed by Sasuke’s hot, slickness. He stopped and enjoyed being fully seated in his young lover.  
  
“I could never tire of this,” Kakashi whispered. “You feel so amazing, better than anyone else before.”  
  
“The only reason I’m not pissed that you’ve been with others in the past is that I love to hear that I’m your favorite.”  
  
“Favorite doesn’t even begin to cover it. You’re all I ever want.”  
  
Kakashi braced a hand next to Sasuke’s head and proceeded to rock out of and back into Sasuke’s body.   
  
“Ah, fuck yeah,” Sasuke moaned. He pressed his right heel into the bed to lift his hip a little to manipulate the angle and groaned. Kakashi got the hint and eased his thrusts to the left. Sasuke whined.  
  
Kakashi cherished every sound the raven made. He’d turned a possible long term fuck buddy into a one night stand because she made too many annoying sounds in bed. Sasuke however . . . He gave Sasuke a particularly brutal thrust to make him whine again. He wanted it louder. Every thrust became violent and every sigh became louder.  
  
Sasuke cam loudly and the trembling body sucked Kakashi dry. “Fuck, Sasuke,” sighed just as loud as Sasuke cried out. Kakashi caught himself before he collapsed on the sex weary body below him. His head sagged and he felt Sasuke’s breath puffing against his silver hair. He raised his head to look at Sasuke’s face.  
  
“I just love you so much.”  
  
Sasuke opened his eyes and could see little more than the gleam of Kakashi’s eyes and the glow of the faint ambient light reflecting off his nearly, equally white hair.   
  
“I love you too.”  
  
Their extremely good hearing caught the sound of a shower. They both were mortified, but then laughed.  
  
“I think Itachi heard us,” Sasuke said.   
  
“I’m proud to say I’ve inspired many a cold shower.”  
  
“I’m sure I have too. But it being my brother . . .”  
  
“Indeed.” Kakashi kissed him, just missing his lips due to the darkness. “Rooms further apart or maybe we should keep this to my apartment. Make it our little love nest.” He eased down next to Sasuke and Sasuke squirmed over to give the larger man room. “But now, we should sleep and Itachi can sleep after his shower.”  
  
“Mmmm.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi told them to wait until after he was asleep to start having sex, but he was still awake. He asked them to stop doing it here, but he knew they would just try to do it quietly again and fail again. The pair on the other side of the wall had been doing silent foreplay since they went to their bedroom. Now they weren’t quite so quiet. Luckily, their bed was not right on the other side of the wall, but Itachi’s bed was against the connecting wall.   
  
Once again, Itachi thought of Kisame. He put a hand over the mark on his shoulder. Kisame always bit him there, nowhere else. Kisame had pretty much destroyed his ass and already bit his shoulder; he didn’t want to further mar his porcelain doll. Itachi was afraid to let Naruto see the mark on his shoulder. What would Naruto think of him if he knew he had been with Kisame?  
  
He was caught thinking of Kisame’s breath on his shoulder as he pierced his flesh again, the feel of his rough tongue, and his large sword calloused hands caressing his arms, back, abs, and sides. The memory of the roughness against his smooth flesh made his skin pucker as it did back then. He started to get hard.   
  
He didn’t want to do this again. He stomped off to the shower. He wasn’t at the point of needing a cold shower, just a distraction. He washed his hair and he remembered hands on his own, pulling them away, taking over massaging his scalp. Then Kisame’s thick fingers threaded through his hair, finding and separating any tangles. After finger combing Itachi’s hair for several minutes, he took Itachi’s comb and combed out his hair properly until the water grew cold. Kisame developed an obsession with Itachi’s hair, insisting that he use conditioner to keep it soft and glossy. Itachi really missed all that. He missed the doting and the affection. He missed Kisame. He started crying. Maybe he did love Kisame, just a little. It was almost like Kisame’s ghost was trying to make him see how much he really cared for him.   
  
But he could never hate Sasuke or the others for Kisame’s death; it was the life they’d chosen to lead. Kisame hadn’t been a bad person, he was what he was raised and trained to be. In the end, he was kind, loyal friend and lover. At least he died as a warrior. That didn’t stop Itachi from crying.  
  
He didn’t know how much time had passed when Sasuke knocked on the bathroom door. “’Tachi? You alright?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Just checking, you’ve been in there a long time.”  
  
Itachi made sure he was rinsed off and he turned off the water. He dried off and came out with the towel around his waist to find Sasuke sitting on his bed in boxers and a nightshirt.  
  
“What are you doing, Otouto?”  
  
“You were in the shower for two hours.” Itachi’s face fell. “You didn’t know it was that long? What’s wrong?”  
  
“I got lost in memories. I’m fine.”  
  
“Why doesn’t Naruto stay over more often? If you have someone with you, you don’t think about the past so much.”  
  
“That’s not why you keep sleeping with Kakashi.”  
  
“No, but it’s a bonus. Aniki—”  
  
“I’m fine. Go back to Kakashi. I’ll go right to sleep.”  
  
Sasuke stood and hugged his brother. “We should talk tomorrow.”  
  
“I’m fine.”  
  
“You look it. Goodnight, Aniki.”  
  
Sasuke was nearly to the door when Itachi grabbed him around the waist and rested his forehead in the duckbutt of Sasuke’s hair. He was suddenly afraid to be alone.  
  
“I miss him so much,” Itachi whispered without thinking.  
  
Sasuke turned around and hugged his brother. “I’m sorry we killed him.” Itachi almost pulled away. “Who else could it be but Kisame? I didn’t realize at the time. I wouldn’t have killed him if I’d known.”  
  
“He was really a good man. He hated lies more than anything. I only lied to him once. I told him that once I had your eyes, I would be cured. It was the only lie I ever told him. If I had told him the truth, he would still be alive.”  
  
“Would he have left Akatsuki with you?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Then he would have died in our assault. Did you love him?”  
  
“No. At least, I thought I didn’t. But I miss him. He was so affectionate. He truly loved me. I was remembering how much he loved my hair and how he would dote on me. I don’t want Naruto to know about him. What would he think of me, letting someone like Kisame . . . I hope Kakashi loves you as much as Kisame did me.”  
  
“If he doesn’t then Kisame loved you more than any man every loved anyone. If Naruto does not love you half as much as that, I’ll deal with him.”  
  
Itachi laughed with weak humor and kissed Sasuke’s cheek then rested his forehead against Sasuke’s. “Go to bed, Otouto.”  
  
“How often have you ever slept alone?”  
  
“Not often. Go to bed. I’m exhausted now and I’ll sleep.”  
  
“Goodnight, Aniki.”  
  
“Goodnight.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi hadn’t slept well and didn’t wake up when Sasuke peeked in his room. Sasuke went back to the kitchen and started packing Itachi’s portion away until Itachi woke up. He sensed Naruto before he got to the front door.  
  
“Come in, dobe,” Sasuke called just quiet enough not to penetrate Itachi’s door.   
  
Naruto came into the kitchen to see a very odd—to him—domestic scene. Sasuke was re-preparing a plate, intending to give it Naruto, while Kakashi sat at the table eating his meal. They looked like husband and wife.  
  
“Eaten?” Sasuke asked.  
  
“A little.”  
  
“Have Itachi’s meal; he hasn’t gotten up and I don’t want to wake him.”  
  
“Is he alright?”  
  
“Yeah, he just looked too peaceful to wake. I figure if he doesn’t wake up when I open the door, he needs the sleep.”  
  
Sasuke put Itachi’s plate on the table and sat down to finish his own breakfast. Naruto sat down too. “Itakimatsu.” He was surprised at how good a cook Sasuke was. Missions didn’t count; there were only so many ways to cook a rabbit in the middle of the forest.  
  
“Ahh, I wanted to thank you for last night,” Naruto said. “I know you didn’t really want people to know about your personal lives. Itachi sort of hinted that you did that on purpose so I could see if my friends were cool with us . . .”  
  
“Being gay?” Sasuke asked.  
  
“Bi?” Kakashi asked.  
  
“Being together,” Naruto finished.  
  
“Diplomatic answer,” Kakashi said.  
  
“So you’re . . .”  
  
“Gay,” Sasuke said.  
  
“Bi,” Kakashi said. “I wager that that was half the conversation after we left.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Is there a pool on Seme and uke?”  
  
Sasuke kicked Kakashi under the table.  
  
“No, but they debated it,” Naruto said.  
  
Sasuke gave a small glare. “And?”  
  
“I think it’s about fifty/fifty.”  
  
Sasuke growled.  
  
“Well, at least they’re all right,” Kakashi said, earning him another kick.  
  
“Naruto doesn’t need to know that much about our sex life.”  
  
“So you go both ways?” Naruto asked.  
  
“Oh, yes,” Kakashi said with an eye shutting smile.  
  
“We’ve only gone one way,” Naruto admitted.  
  
“And you’ll keep it that way,” Sasuke growled.  
  
“Seeing how much you love uking, I can’t believe you’d want to deny your brother that pleasure.”  
  
Now Sasuke looked like he was going to kill Kakashi. “Say one more word and I’m going to tell him the kind of things you say when you uke.”  
  
“’Oh, Sasuke, fu—‘” Sasuke kicked him so hard the chair nearly fell back with Kakashi in it. Kakashi started laughing and Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke struggling not to smile.  
  
Sasuke managed to kill his humor and turned to Naruto. “If you are really serious about my brother, you better dote on him.”  
  
“Huh? Like what?”  
  
“Yeah, like what?” Kakashi asked. Sasuke turned annoyed eyes on him. “I’m always looking for tips on keeping a certain volatile Uchiha happy.”  
  
Sasuke turned back to Naruto. “Comb his hair, give him a massage, just be attentive. Make sure he knows you love him. He’s subject to depression, more than me. He’s been suffering for eight years and he’ll suffer throughout the rest of his life. You need to be there for him.”  
  
“Is he alright now? Is that why he’s still sleeping?”  
  
“You know he had a lover before?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“He was thinking about him last night and it made him depressed. I don’t think it reflects on you.”  
  
“Did he really love Kisame?”  
  
Sasuke was surprised that Naruto had figured out who Itachi’s lover was. “No. If he did, he’d still be alive. He feels guilty for Kisame’s death. He thinks he could have saved his life if he was more honest with him. He may have been able to save him from my team, but we would have killed him in our assault against Akatsuki. But if Itachi loved him back, he could have saved him. Itachi said he didn’t love him, but Kisame was affectionate. Itachi is used to affection and misses it. Don’t let him pine for Kisame or I’ll rip your lungs out.” Naruto felt Sasuke was telling the truth. “I don’t like the fact you two are lovers, but it’s probably similar to what Itachi feels about Kakashi and I. I really don’t like the fact he was sleeping with Kisame. You’re the better of the two. Be the better one for Itachi as well.”  
  
Naruto nodded. “I’ve never been in a relationship before.”  
  
“Neither have I,” Sasuke said.  
  
“You’re doing just fine,” Kakashi chimed in.  
  
“Just ‘fine?’” Sasuke asked.  
  
“Well, I wouldn’t know either, my first real one. But I’m happy.” The eye-shutting smile reinforced the sentiment.   
  
Naruto looked over at the hallway to Itachi’s room. “I want to take him out, but I don’t want to wake him. Will you ask him for me?”  
  
“I will pass along the message,” Sasuke said.   
  
Naruto stood and bowed to the person he second most needed to please in the world. “Thank you for breakfast.”  
  
He left.  
  
Sasuke turned a glare on his lover. “I don’t know who you were trying to embarrass more, me or him.”  
  
“Both of you. You were so cute once upon a time; I miss being able to tease you.”  
  
Sasuke’s eyes became bedroom eyes. “I _was_ cute? What am I now?”  
  
“Sexy as hell.” Kakashi also became flirty.   
  
Itachi choose that moment to come in. “Oh, god,” Itachi muttered and turned around.   
  
Sasuke jumped up and grabbed Itachi’s arm to stop him. “I’m sorry, Aniki.” He pulled him to the seat Naruto had just vacated.  
  
Itachi looked down at the pillaged plate and stared at it in mock dejection. [Eeyore looking down at his burst birthday balloon ^_^]  
  
“Sorry, Aniki. You were asleep so I gave your breakfast to Naruto. He just left.”  
  
Itachi looked up at him. “He was here?”  
  
“None of us wanted to wake you. He wanted to invite you out. I’ll make you something.” Sasuke took the offending plate away.  
  
“How did it go last night?” Itachi asked both his companions. “I’m sure you grilled him.”  
  
“No one really seemed to care. Naruto feels better.”  
  
“That’s good.”  
  
Sasuke wanted to tell Itachi that Naruto knew about Kisame and wasn’t disgusted—or at least didn’t seem so—but he decided that would be overstepping. Maybe he should have told Naruto how Itachi felt about the subject.  
  
“So, I think I should go bother the Jounin who don’t have the month off,” Kakashi said as he stood. “Should I deliver a message to Naruto?”  
  
“I’d love dinner with him.”  
  
“I’ll let him know.” Kakashi left through the window.  
  
Sasuke placed a fresh plate in front of his brother and put his arms around Itachi’s neck and leaned his head against Itachi’s.  
  
“I’m really happy to have you back in my life, nii-san.” Sasuke chose a more formal address to reaffirm his words. “I love you so much.”  
  
Itachi put his hands on Sasuke’s arms. “You’re still the most precious person in my life and that will never change.”  
  
“I’m not jealous.”  
  
“I know. But it’s the truth.”  
  
Sasuke turned the gentle embrace into a tight hug. He disengaged with a kiss to Itachi’s hair. “Eat up.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi suggested they just go for ramen, but Naruto insisted that they go to a nicer restaurant. Itachi’s vision was so bad he needed Naruto to read him part of the menu. Naruto didn’t mind. Over dinner, Naruto told him all about what happened after he and his brother and Kakashi left the night before. Itachi was relieved. Naruto left out the more vulgar parts of the conversation.  
  
Naruto’s childish enthusiasm and choice of topics should have annoyed the older Uchiha, but he basked in Naruto’s laughter and perpetual smile. He loved the little idiot.   
  
Naruto walked Itachi home. “Sasuke and Kakashi are out; they’ve accepted the fact they are incapable of keeping quiet enough. Stay the night?” Itachi asked with bedroom eyes.  
  
Naruto had been a virgin before he first had sex with Itachi, so as much as he loved jacking off like any teenage boy, he never craved sex. But now, his cock twitched with the suggestion.   
  
“Uh, yeah.”  
  
Itachi carefully put a hand to Naruto’s face and sighed. “I wish I could see you, but my vision’s nearly gone. I’ll be so happy once the surgery’s over and I can _see_ you again.” He kissed him. Before Naruto could attempt making it deeper, Itachi pulled away to open the door. Naruto wanted to face palm himself because he was so inept. He should have touched Itachi or slid in his tongue or grabbed him and dipped him or something.   
  
Naruto followed the older man closely into his house and to his room. Knowing that Itachi was very nearly blind, Naruto felt comfortable stripping. But Naruto could see. Itachi had put on a few healthy pounds but he was still too thin. More ramen was Naruto’s prescription. But he was so lovely. He was so thin and regal that he appeared much taller than he really was. He was just so lithe and . . . flexible.   
  
For Itachi, Naruto’s vibrant hair was a beacon in the blurry darkness. He put his arms around Naruto and just felt his skin. He was scarless because of the Kyuubi’s healing powers as well as the fact most of Naruto’s skin had been burned off by the Kyuubi’s cloak more than once, obliterating any scars he might have had. He smelled the yellow hair. And he was warm. He needed this so much.  
  
They kissed and, while Naruto submitted the kiss, Itachi moved them to the bed. Itachi eased him down and hovered over him.  
  
Naruto put a hand on Itachi’s chest to stop him from getting started. “Let me do the work this time.”  
  
“Alright. Do what you like. Except . . .” Itachi was suddenly uncomfortable and he couldn’t come up the right word. “Don’t fuck me.” He gave Naruto a weak half smile. “I’m not ready yet.”  
  
“I thought you weren’t a virgin.”  
  
“I’m not. I’m just not ready to do it again.”  
  
Naruto showed wisdom for once and let the subject drop. In truth, Itachi was worried that after Kisame, no man could ever satisfy him again; his body had stretched so far to accommodate Kisame that he probably couldn’t feel a normal man.  
  
“You want me on my back?” Itachi asked.  
  
“Um, yeah.”  
  
Itachi rolled onto his back and Naruto moved over him.  
  
Naruto was nervous, but he really wanted to pleasure Itachi. He tried to remember what Itachi had done to him and his mind went blank. Itachi couldn’t keep a smile from his face, but he made sure it was warm.   
  
“Taste my neck,” Itachi said.  
  
Naruto slowly moved to kiss Itachi’s offered neck. He kissed where his collarbone met his neck then was compelled to lick the strained tendon before him.   
  
“Don’t think about it, just do what you feel like doing,” Itachi coached.  
  
Naruto lapped at his neck more, liking the faint taste of him and texture of his smooth skin against his rough tongue. Instinct was taking over. He put his hand on Itachi’s other shoulder feeling his hair on the pillow with his fingertips. He raised his hand to caress and feel those silken strands. He then slid his hand down from Itachi’s shoulder, down his well sculpted chest and abs. He was still shy about where he touched, but at least he was touching him. Itachi kept his hands on the mattress so as not to distract Naruto from what he was doing.  
  
The licking at his throat migrated down to capture a dusty bud. He licked it curiously. Oddly, it occurred to Itachi that Naruto was probably never breast fed. He was making up for it now though. Whatever pleasure Naruto was receiving it was heightened by the gasp and small moan Itachi let out. Kisame liked to tease his nipples with everything but his teeth, loving just how sensitive he was.  
  
“Use your teeth gently,” Itachi instructed.  
  
Naruto was hesitant, but he lightly grabbed it with his teeth.  
  
“Pull at it and run the edges of your teeth over it.” Itachi had never had it done, but Kisame liked it when he did it and Itachi had been fantasizing about how it would feel. And it did feel good. Naruto was clumsy and unsure, but it didn’t matter much, just that fact he was here and doing it.   
  
Kyuubi started growling within Naruto. _Taste him,_ the deep voice rolled through his mind. _Bite harder and taste his blood. Lick his skin before you sink your fangs in his flesh. Hot, sweet, sinister Uchiha blood._ Kyuubi purred.  
  
Naruto sucked and let his hand roam over Itachi’s hip as his inner self fought to reign in Kyuubi. As much as Kyuubi’s words turned him on, he didn’t want to hurt Itachi. Once he felt he had the fox under control, Naruto moved on, licking at his abdomen as he descended toward Itachi’s hard cock.   
  
Having had Itachi do it to him, Naruto thought he could give Itachi a decent blowjob. He could see the light from the window gleam on a drop of liquid on the top of Itachi’s cock. Curious, Naruto licked at it. Itachi shuttered with pleasure. Naruto might have shied away, thinking he’d hurt Itachi, but experience told him he hadn’t. He licked at the tip again then the underside of the head. Itachi let out a gasp. Encouraged, Naruto took the head into his mouth, closing his lips firmly around the flare.   
  
The hot wetness of Naruto’s mouth and the slight pressure of his lips around his cock make Itachi want to cum hard into his mouth, but it wasn’t quite enough. The pleasure was torture.   
  
Naruto’s tongue moved against the head. Itachi wanted to buck his hips and force more of his cock into Naruto’s mouth. It was so different than plunging into his ass. It was that inquisitive tongue. And then the suction began. Itachi whined. Naruto took a little more of his cock in his mouth and started bobbing his head, running his tight lips up and down Itachi’s hard length as if it was his anal ring gliding over it.  
  
Itachi arched and stretched and moaned more than Naruto had for his first blowjob. “Fuck, Naruto, that feels so good.”  
  
He knew Itachi well enough by now to know Itachi wouldn’t fake that; neither his actions or his words. Itachi was controlled and sedate in everything in his life, even when they had sex before. Naruto had tasted the submission and pleasure before, now he understood the power one could hold during sex. He control Itachi’s pleasure, his reactions.   
  
Naruto experimented with his tongue and lips, learning how much of Itachi’s cock he could take before he could no longer suck.   
  
He took Itachi’s cock to his throat and the back of his tongue thrust up to keep it from going any further and gagging him. A small cry escaped Itachi’s lips. Naruto bobbed his head and let his tongue react with every down stroke making Itachi moan.  
  
But Naruto wanted to go further. Itachi had been able to take his whole cock so he was determined to do the same. He slowly took Itachi’s cock and forced his tongue to relax. This time, it was his throat which reacted, closing up and nearly gagging. Naruto pulled back a little and tried again.  
  
As good as it all felt, Itachi came back to himself enough to realize what Naruto was doing.  
  
“You don’t have to take it all your first time,” Itachi muttered.  
  
Telling Naruto he couldn’t do something—or just the suggestion that something was too much for him—only made Naruto more determined. Itachi was too pleasure-drunk to remember that.   
  
Finally, Naruto eased Itachi’s cock into his throat and gagged. He struggled through it, but after a few seconds had to pull back completely, exposing Itachi’s hot, hard, wet cock to the air. Naruto recomposed himself and tried again.   
  
“Concentrate on your breathing,” Itachi told him. The cold air driving him back from the edge.  
  
Naruto obeyed and with his mind preoccupied, almost to the level of meditation, he was startled when his nose was tickled by the hairs of the trim triangle that pointed at the base of Itachi’s cock. He almost gagged, but held on. Breathing was difficult, but he managed. He pulled back and tried it again, concentrating less on breathing this time and was successful.   
  
Itachi smiled down at him. “Pretty damn good for a beginner,” Itachi murmured. “Don’t worry about deepthroating me, I’d rather have your tongue teasing me and your lips pulling at me.”  
  
Naruto was glad to hear it. That was a chore, but playing with Itachi’s cock in mouth was actually kind of fun and he loved making Itachi react like that. He went back to playing his tongue over Itachi’s length, sucking at it, and fucking his mouth on it and Itachi went back to mindlessly mewing.   
  
“Let me cum in your mouth,” Itachi begged as he got close.  
  
Naruto hadn’t even thought about that. But the idea made his mouth water. He tried to slurp it up, careful not to let his teeth touch the sensitive organ.   
  
Itachi started panting. “Mmmmm. Naruto. I’m close. So close. Fuck. Mmmm. Ahhh. Your tongue. Move your tongue against the head. Ahhh. Yes, that’s it. Ahhhhh. I’m going to cum. Ahhhh, yes, I’m going to cum. Ahhhhh!”  
  
Naruto shouldn’t have been surprised, but the sudden twitching and further hardening of Itachi’s cock and the jet of thick cum erupting from it made him pull back a bit, but he kept Itachi in his mouth. He sucked at it, drawing out more of the salty liquid.   
  
Itachi moaned as shot after shot of cum pumped out of him, his entire body taut. It felt like his balls were drawing his life essence from the rest of his body and shooting it into Naruto’s wonderful mouth. With one last shot, his body went limp. He just wanted to sleep.  
  
Naruto pulled back and tasted the cream in his mouth. He liked it. He swallowed and looked down at Itachi limp body. His face squinched up: he was hard as a rock and Itachi looked like he’s already passed out.  
  
But Itachi was still awake and he remembered his duty to his lover. “I know I’m beautiful, but are you just going to stare at me? Lay down.”  
  
Naruto did so and Itachi got up, looking like limp marionette. He moved down between Naruto’s legs, propping himself up with an elbow and took Naruto’s cock in his mouth. Naruto, his head propped by a pillow, looked down at him. A cascade of long, loose, black hair curtained Itachi’s face. As if feeling Naruto’s eyes, Itachi drew the curtain, tucking his hair behind his ear. While most of it defied him, it was enough to let Naruto watch as Itachi lavished the head of his cock with attention inside his mouth.   
  
After moving his hair, Itachi’s hand went down to caress and massage Naruto’s scrotum. Hearing and seeing Itachi had gotten Naruto close to cuming, so when Itachi used his hand to grip the base of his cock and jerk it while sucking and licking at the head, attempting to tongue fuck the slit, Naruto cam. Itachi took it all and swallowed.   
  
Releasing Naruto’s softening cock, Itachi move up to kiss Naruto tenderly. Then, all his energy used up, he lay next to him and let sleep take him. Naruto was a few seconds behind him, his mind numb as he looked at the ceiling until his eyes fluttered close.  
  
\-----  
  
They slept so hard at the beginning that they recuperated quickly and both woke up, though still dozing, as good as asleep. Itachi snuggled up against Naruto for several minutes. Thirst got the better of him and Naruto sat up, letting the blood redisperse before he attempted standing. He looked at the nightstand and saw a picture frame turned face side down. Itachi sat up too and noticed Naruto’s head was turned toward the picture.  
  
“You can look.”  
  
Naruto picked up the frame and righted it on the nightstand. It was a family portrait, Fugaku, Sasuke, Mikoto, and Itachi.  
  
“That was taken a month before . . . It was their wedding anniversary and my mother wanted us to take a family photo. We had very few photos at all and it was fortuitous that she felt the desire to take one then.”  
  
Itachi pulled the blanket over his shoulders and put his arms around Naruto, wrapping him in the blanket too.   
  
“She was really pretty. You both take after her.”  
  
“You think so? Sasuke certainly, but I think I take after my father.”  
  
“Well, the . . .” Naruto traced tear troughs on his own cheeks. “But I think you look like her.”  
  
Itachi adjusted to fit his body better to Naruto’s. “That was the most traumatic night of my life. Killing them and lying to Sasuke. Leaving Sasuke. That was the worst part actually, leaving him.” Itachi sighed heavily. “I think my father was probably proudest of me that night. He said, ‘Even if our ideals differ, I’m proud of you.’ He never said that before; he always said ‘You are my son indeed’ or ‘As expected of a son of mine.’ It seemed I only met expectations, never exceeded them. He also said that night that their pain would only be for a moment, nothing compared to what I would have to carry for the rest of my life. One of his last thoughts was of Sasuke. That surprised me; he rarely seemed to care about Sasuke. Mother didn’t say much except that she understood. Then . . .”  
  
Naruto put his hands over Itachi’s arms. Itachi sniffed.  
  
“I actually feel better talking about it. Thank you. I _showed_ Sasuke with my Sharingan. I thought he deserved to see the whole truth.”  
  
“I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”  
  
Itachi nuzzled Naruto’s hair. He thought he should resent Naruto like so many of the villagers used to: it was because of the Kyuubi that the Uchiha were suspected and he was put in that position, but he knew it was Madara who was to blame, not Naruto; Naruto was just another casualty. Madara had taken both their families from them.  
  
Itachi let Naruto go.   
  
“I’ll just get some water and come back.”  
  
Itachi smiled and then slithered back down.  
  
Naruto got up and put on his boxers. He wandered into the kitchen. He was filling the glass when . . .  
  
“I still don’t approve.”  
  
Naruto nearly screamed and dropped the glass, but he managed to hold on to both his voice and the glass. He turned to see Sasuke in his night clothes with his arms crossed.   
  
“When did you get home?” Naruto asked.  
  
“An hour ago. Kakashi’s here too.”  
  
“Were you listening?” Naruto asked.  
  
“No. I told him he should keep you with him at night, but I still don’t like this. My best friend and my brother . . .”  
  
“My best friend and our sensei?”  
  
“Hn.” _Point taken._ “What were you talking about?”  
  
“Your parents. That night. He told me what your father said to him.”  
  
Sasuke didn’t say anything for a moment. He had seen those moments through Itachi’s eyes, even felt the tears on Itachi’s cheeks. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced those emotions away. “The two of us will never forget that night. You and Kakashi will have to deal with occasional bouts of depression. Maybe something worse. Is he okay?”  
  
“Yeah, I think so. He said he felt better talking about it.”  
  
“Good. Get back to him.” Sasuke walked back to his room, seeming to fade into the shadows.  
  
Itachi was asleep when Naruto returned. He carefully got back into bed and Itachi didn’t fully wake but he turned and clung to Naruto. Naruto smiled, loving the attention and affection even if Itachi was mostly asleep.


	6. Naruto's Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Nyctus for the beta!

Kakashi was snoring softly when Sasuke returned to his room, his midnight snack forgotten. Sasuke sat next to Kakashi and pulled his knees to his chest. It was true, neither brother would forget that night and they would both go through bouts of depression and worse. Like now.   
  
Yes, he was home, had a lover, friends, and his brother back, but his parents and clan were still dead and he couldn’t get back the years of hell he’d gone through. And he saw that look in his brother’s eyes: grief for the boy he once was. Sasuke grieved too. He was stripped of his innocence far, far too young. He’d become an angry, bitter man at eight.   
  
Kakashi shifted and stopped snoring, but he didn’t wake.   
  
Naruto and Itachi were likely asleep by now too. Sasuke felt so very alone. He knew his depression was affecting Kakashi; normally the man didn’t shift for hours, but he moved again. Sasuke turned and was about to get up and leave Kakashi to sleep, but he was grabbed and pulled back into bed.   
  
Kakashi leaned his head against Sasuke’s clothed back. “You were there for me, I’m here for you,” Kakashi muttered.   
  
“Itachi told Naruto about that night,” Sasuke said. “Got me thinking about it. About how much I’ve changed.”  
  
Kakashi hummed. “Remember: I wouldn’t love you the way I do if you hadn’t. There’s no telling what your life would be like if your past was different. You might be dead or even more miserable. Married to a woman you hate with horrible children and your brother could have turned into a complete asshole and I’d hate your guts for one reason or another. Feel better?”  
  
“You’re an asshole.” But his tone wasn’t harsh.   
  
“Don’t fret about things that can’t be changed.”  
  
Sasuke hummed in agreement. “Let go.”  
  
Kakashi hesitated, but he removed his arm from Sasuke’s waist. Sasuke thought he needed time alone. Kakashi was certain he’d come to him when he realized being alone was the last thing he needed.  
  
\-----  
  
Kakashi didn’t like waking up alone, the other side of the bed feeling more than empty. He put a hand on the cold sheets. He sighed. He wanted to kiss a dark hairline and feel warm, smooth skin.  
  
Hearing the other occupants of the house stir, Kakashi decided to get up. His hair wildly awry, but his mask perfectly in place, he entered the kitchen to find Naruto searching the cabinets—most likely for ramen.   
  
“They don’t keep instant ramen in this house,” Kakashi told him.   
  
Naruto hadn’t acknowledged Kakashi’s presence, but he was aware of it and therefore not surprised to hear his voice. “Who doesn’t keep ramen around?”  
  
“Uchiha.”  
  
Itachi staggered in. He couldn’t see well normally, but with sleep blur on top of that, he was nearly blind. However, he noticed that Kakashi was there but his brother wasn’t.  
  
“Where’s Sasuke?”  
  
“We’re not attached at the hip,” Kakashi said.  
  
“He doesn’t leave your side unless he must. Where is he?”  
  
Kakashi sighed again. “He was struck by depression last night and left.”  
  
Itachi panicked and made for the door, but he stopped realizing he couldn’t see. He turned to Kakashi and Naruto. “Find him and bring him home to me.”  
  
Kakashi didn’t waste time trying to convince Itachi that Sasuke was alright, just a little unhappy, he just went back to Sasuke’s room and dressed then vaulted out the window to find his little lost lover.   
  
A shinobi could be a devil to find when he didn’t want to be found. But Kakashi knew of some likely places to fine a depressed Uchiha.  
  
He found him at the Uchiha’s Nakano Shrine. He wasn’t praying, just sitting inside staring at a simple scroll on a wall.  
  
“Sasuke, Itachi’s worried about you. Come home and settle his nerves.”  
  
Sasuke looked up at him with tired eyes.   
  
“Luckily, he can’t see too well,” Kakashi said. “You look like shit.”  
  
“You say such wonderful things to your lover. Now I know why you didn’t have a girlfriend.”   
  
Sasuke tried to stand, but he hadn’t moved in hours and his body was stiff. Kakashi came over and helped him up. He pulled him to him and kissed his soft hair.  
  
“Actually, I had four girlfriends, two boyfriends, and probably over forty quickies; none of those every saw my face. I kept my face from most of my lovers too.”  
  
“You say the perfect things to make me feel better.” But Sasuke wasn’t frowning anymore. He felt better just being held by Kakashi. All seemed to fade away and seemed right. He relaxed.   
  
“Cheer up for your brother’s sake. He panicked when he realized you weren’t with me this morning.”  
  
“We should hurry then.”  
  
The moment the front door opened, Itachi rushed the dark haired person who came through it. Luckily it was his brother.  
  
“Why were you so worried?” Sasuke struggled to ask as Itachi crushed his lungs.   
  
“You weren’t here.”  
  
“What were you like when I was on missions?” Sasuke said lightly.   
  
“You’ve been particularly clingy to Kakashi and I. For you to leave on your own . . .”  
  
“I just wanted to visit the shrine.”  
  
Itachi smoothed Sasuke’s hair. “Did you hear me last night?”  
  
“No. I cornered Naruto and I pressed him. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wanted to visit the shrine.”  
  
“You’re alright?”  
  
“I’ve lost sleep, that’s all.”  
  
Itachi hugged and petted him some more then said, “Make us breakfast then, Kakashi and Naruto are hopeless and I couldn’t tell salt from sugar.” He kissed his brother’s forehead.   
  
“You trust I can tell the difference? I don’t think I could tell salt from pepper. I’ll make breakfast. Naruto, I’m conscripting you. I’ve seen Kakashi burn water; I’d rather have your help.”  
  
Sasuke swept Naruto into his wake to the kitchen.  
  
“Did I make a fool of myself, Kakashi?” Itachi asked.   
  
“He was sitting in the shrine for hours. No, you didn’t over react too much. He was depressed.”  
  
“My fault, of course.”  
  
“You didn’t have a choice. He’s far happier now than I ever saw him before, just suffering the occasional bout of depression. I won’t say don’t worry about him, but try to keep your own spirits up; that will keep him happy.”  
  
They heard a hollow bang and Sasuke yell, “No ramen!”  
  
“I think my lover is going to kill yours.”  
  
Itachi sighed. “Why do we love such young fools?”  
  
“Maybe because they are young. But you’re not so old. I’m the cradle robber.” Kakashi became more serious. “Thank you, by the way, for not raising objections.”  
  
“I know you really love him and he’s hopeless. He’s a moment away from you and he pouts.”  
  
Kakashi laughed. “Does he?” Even with his mask, Kakashi looked wistful. “He’s cute when he pouts. He chides me for teasing him, but he’s just too adorable. Your lover isn’t as cute when he pouts.”  
  
“I don’t get off on irritating him.”  
  
Kakashi eased closer with a mischievous look in his eye. “What does get you off?”  
  
Itachi narrowed his eyes at him.   
  
“I bet it’s your hair. You keep it so well maintained, even when you traveled so much. I noted it when I first encountered you when you visited Konoha after the Third’s death. With Kisame. He really loved you.”  
  
Itachi’s eyes grew soft. “Yes, he did.” Then his eyes became alert again. “Not a word of that to Naruto. I don’t want him to know.”  
  
“That you like your hair combed?”  
  
“That _Kisame_ liked to comb my hair.”  
  
“You know what your brother likes—”  
  
“Sasuke! I’m about to murder your boyfriend!”  
  
Sasuke rushed in, grabbed Kakashi’s hair and dragged him to the kitchen, not letting the six foot tall man straighten up. There was another bang followed by Kakashi’s exclamation of “Ow.” Itachi smiled. Then he pulled his hair over his shoulder and ran his fingers through it.  
  
He always liked his hair, but Kisame made him love it.   
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke didn’t say a word when he dragged Naruto in the kitchen, but Naruto knew his friend, knew he was bitching and complaining in his mind about having to cook for three grown men and he not having any sleep. Naruto could hear the grumbling.  
  
“You can just tell me what to do and you can sit down,” Naruto tried to placate him. “Even if you’re doing it in your head, your grumbling is . . . annoying.”  
  
Sasuke turned around. “No one has ever called me annoying.”  
  
“But you’re fond of calling other people annoying.”  
  
“Because they are.”  
  
“Well, you’re being it now.”  
  
“I didn’t open my mouth.”  
  
“You don’t have to. I worked with you for a year. I’m used to your grumbling, even when you don’t open your mouth.”  
  
“If you’re used to it, then why are you annoyed by it.” Sasuke smirked. “You surprise me. That is the most observant I think you’ve ever been.”  
  
“Thanks?” Naruto was unsure if that was a complement or not.  
  
“Open the cupboard.”  
  
Naruto opened it and took out a box of ramen noodles.   
  
Sasuke picked up an empty pot and hit him in the head with it then shouted, “No ramen!”  
  
Naruto rubbed his head.  
  
“Sit down, shut up, and let me cook. At least my brother could’ve chosen someone who could cook.”  
  
Naruto obeyed, perfectly. For a minute.  
  
“Does it really bother you that much?” Naruto asked.  
  
Sasuke stopped what he was doing and sighed. “I can’t be mad at Itachi. I love him and mostly forgive him, but you’re my best friend. It’s difficult for me to reconcile this.” He started working again. “Itachi’s seeing a side of you I can’t and you’re seeing a side of him I can’t. Maybe I’m jealous. Not really _jealous_ , you understand; I don’t want to have sex with either of you.” He shuttered at the thought. “I don’t feel you’re taking him from me—Kakashi’s the one who has sort of taken me from him. I guess I feel Itachi’s taken _you_ from _me_. Kakashi’s guilty too of separating you and me, and so am I. I guess I’m more angry that our friendship is broken. I miss yo—”  
  
“Sasuke! I’m about to murder your boyfriend!” Itachi yelled.  
  
Sasuke rushed out and returned gripping Kakashi by the hair. Sasuke picked up the pot again and hit Kakashi on the head with it.  
  
“Ow.”   
  
“Don’t annoy my brother.”  
  
“I just asked him what gets him off.”  
  
Sasuke whirled back on him and started pummeling his lover. Kakashi brought up his arms up to defend himself, but didn’t try to stop Sasuke. Probably because he couldn’t stop laughing.  
  
\-----  
  
The mask and headband hid most of the bruises. His Sharingan was swelled shut, his lip was split, and his forearms were pure bruises. He avoided a concussion by assuring Sasuke that he didn’t tell Itachi what their bedroom kinks were, but he was kicked out of the bedroom for a night.  
  
When he was allowed back into the house, Kakashi brought an ox horn comb still in its box. He gave it to Naruto when Naruto opened the door.  
  
“He likes his hair combed. Give it to him soon as a special gift.” He whispered more quietly, “Ox horn, good for blood flow.” He gave Naruto a wink.  
  
Naruto hurried the box into his jacket.  
  
Sasuke and Itachi came in the living room. Itachi sat on the sofa and Sasuke stood and crossed his arms.  
  
“Love!” Kakashi exclaimed and approached Sasuke, getting on his knees in front of him. “Do you forgive me?”  
  
“If Itachi does.”  
  
Kakashi looked to Itachi who took his time considering.   
  
“I forgive you.”  
  
Kakashi looked hopefully back at Sasuke, like a puppy looking forgiveness.  
  
“I forgive you too.”  
  
Kakashi took down his mask and grabbed Sasuke’s hand and kissed it. He stood and kissed him on the lips a few times, then slipped his tongue into Sasuke’s mouth. Sasuke melted and they started to paw each other like lovers up on lovers’ lane.  
  
“I’m still here,” Itachi complained.  
  
They broke apart, Sasuke more eager to stop than Kakashi. He gripped Kakashi’s bruised arm hard in retribution.   
  
“He’s got his own boy-toy now; why be cross?” Kakashi complained.  
  
“I’ve let you back in the house, but you’re not getting anything tonight.”  
  
“Meaning food?”  
  
“Meaning something much more essential to you than food.”  
  
Sasuke pushed him into the bedroom nevertheless.  
  
“Maybe you and I should go out to dinner,” Itachi said. “The makeup sex is certain to be loud.”  
  
“Ramen?”  
  
“Ramen sounds good.”  
  
Itachi knocked on Sasuke’s door and said he and Naruto were going out for dinner.   
  
“’K,” Sasuke called.  
  
“Thank you!” was Kakashi’s response. Followed by a small cry of pain when Sasuke hit him.  
  
\-----  
  
The house was quiet when Itachi and Naruto returned. They’d stopped by a tea house for dessert after ramen and the others should have finished having sex and maybe even eaten by now.   
  
“Are they even home?” Naruto asked.  
  
“Maybe they went out.” Instead of reaching out with his chakra to check, Itachi grabbed Naruto around the waist and pulled him down with him to the sofa. He just held Naruto against him back to front and nuzzled Naruto’s bright hair. He felt the object in Naruto’s jacket and Naruto felt it pushed against his ribs.   
  
“Oh, yeah,” Naruto pulled the box out of his jacket. “For you.” He turned to see Itachi as he held it out.  
  
Itachi eyes softened and look genuinely happy when he saw it was comb. A high end, handcrafted, ox horn comb carved with a rabbit in the handle. Itachi couldn’t see the carving, but he could feel it when he took it out of the package. He didn’t ask what they were so as to not be rude, like he couldn’t appreciate the gift. “Thank you, Naruto.” He admired the smooth texture of the carved horn. “I’ve never had one before, but I’ve heard these are the best combs in the world. Thank you.”  
  
It was nice to see Itachi happy, but Naruto was too honest deep down. “I can’t lie about this. Kakashi gave it to me to give to you. He’s so much smarter than me.”  
  
“Do you like my hair?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Do you like my hair?”  
  
“Um, yeah. I mean, I really don’t want you to cut it or anything.”  
  
“Did you think it was the right gift when Kakashi gave it to you?”  
  
“Yeah. It made me feel so stupid.”  
  
“Why? Have you noticed me take special care of my hair or anything? I just scrunch it up in a pony tail.”  
  
“Your brother said something too.”  
  
“He did? What did he say?”  
  
“He told me to be attentive and comb your hair. I guess it must be something obvious since they both told me.”  
  
Itachi could see this was never going to end. Naruto would always feel inadequate even if Sasuke and Kakashi were trying to help. And Itachi would always feel old and like an outsider. It would be so much easier to end this relationship now. Which part of that brought tears to his eyes: the future strife or ending it?   
  
“You’re not stupid, Naruto. Do you love me?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Will you trust me when I say I love you?”  
  
“I believe you.”  
  
“Then why do you let yourself doubt this?”  
  
“You deserve someone better?”  
  
“You deserve someone younger who fits in your sphere. You deserve someone as happy and outgoing as you. You deserve someone who’s hands aren’t stained with the blood of his parents. You deserve better. But, stay with me?” His voice cracked with tears. “You are my sun, my light. I love you. I need you. You’re the one I want.”  
  
Itachi gently pulled him into a kiss. Naruto still wasn’t confident when it came to kissing, but he kissed back all the same. He did want to stay with Itachi.   
  
Itachi ended the kiss and pulled Naruto to him. “All four of us are orphans,” Itachi said. “I know you’ve never had a family and you told me once that you were more a brother to Sasuke than I was.” Naruto spluttered to take it back, but Itachi kept talking. “We’ll be each others’ family now. Sasuke _is_ your brother now. In a way, we’re all brother’s now.”  
  
Naruto was touched by Itachi’s words, but he said, “Isn’t that kind of incest-y?”  
  
Itachi smiled and shrugged. “My point is: you don’t need to worry about anything like not being enough for me or anything like that. We’re family and we accept even the bad parts of each other. Sasuke and I are probably going to be depressed on and off for the rest of our lives. I can tell you now I’m not going to get over being quiet and reclusive. But I won’t mind if you go out by yourself to have fun with your friends. More than anything, I want to stay home with my brother and you . . . and Kakashi if he can keep his hands to himself or his mind out of the gutter.”  
  
“Never gonna happen.”  
  
Itachi laughed. “True. But I’ve always liked him. There’s no one I’d rather having looking after my little brother. I just want to be around you and love you. It pains me to think how alone you’ve been throughout your life. I had a large family, but I always shied away and then I stripped myself of them. Sasuke too. None of us have to be alone anymore.”  
  
The idea that he had a family now and that Itachi acknowledged the pain of his lonely childhood made Naruto cry. He was still curled up in Itachi’s arms and just pressed his face to Itachi’s chest.  
  
“I think we need a bigger house and you should move in,” Itachi said. “We definitely need a room between ours and Sasuke’s since they are incapable of having sex quietly.”  
  
Naruto laughed through his tears. He felt so comfortable against Itachi’s body. He could feel Itachi’s ribs.   
  
“You’re too thin.”  
  
Itachi laughed softly. “Feed me more dessert.”  
  
Naruto wiped away his tears and tilted his head up to kiss the exposed skin on Itachi’s chest. Itachi pulled his shirt from where it was tucked into his pants giving Naruto access to the rest of his chest and abdomen. Naruto took it, sliding his hand up to the prominent ribs. He licked at Itachi’s collarbone.  
  
Itachi leaned his head back and allowed Naruto to explore his body. Naruto ran his fingers across the ribs and between them. Itachi’s chest was smooth and hard. Itachi wanted to tell Naruto to touch his covered crotch, but he preferred to allow Naruto to go at his own pace, to explore on his own. The longer he was teased and forced to wait, the better the rest would be.  
  
Naruto’s hands were so warm. He was warmth personified, the sun given human form. Itachi kept one arm on the sofa back so he didn’t obstruct Naruto’s exploration, the other hand played with the yellow hair.   
  
Naruto’s hand finally wandered down his side and to his hip. It loitered there for a moment then slide across to his straining erection. Itachi’s hips bucked, desiring more contact.  
  
Naruto pulled back, unsure what to make of Itachi’s reaction.  
  
“Do whatever you want,” Itachi whispered. “Touch me and lick me and bite me all you want.”  
  
Encouraged by Itachi breathless voice, Naruto slid his hand over the bulge again. Itachi’s long cock was at full hardness. He was definitely doing something right.  
  
Naruto pushed up the purple undershirt Itachi wore under his light black jacket. Itachi shrugged out of the jacket and Naruto helped pull the undershirt off. Instinct was easier to listen to now. Naruto started licking at Itachi’s pale skin from his abs to his shoulder.   
  
The idolatrous nature of it made Itachi harder. He didn’t want to fuck Naruto, he wanted Naruto to suck him. He wanted to be in that mouth and feel that tongue on his cock. But he wouldn’t ask, he wanted to know what Naruto would do on his own. And the unknown was erotic.  
  
But, Naruto might as well have read Itachi’s mind. He slid down to the floor and pulled down Itachi’s pants. Soon, Itachi was sitting naked on the sofa with the fully clothed jinchuuriki between his legs.   
  
Even after they had had sex twice before and Itachi had been stared at by Kisame and fucked by him for years, he blushed as Naruto stared at his hard cock from inches away.   
  
Instead of starting with the head, Naruto slid his parted lips down and back up his length. The light caress and the feel of his breath felt so good. He started lapping at it and then pressed the head past his tight lips as if his mouth were a reluctant hole.  
  
“Fuck, you’re good at this,” Itachi said with a moan.   
  
Naruto deepthroated him and his tongue squirmed around near the base. Itachi bucked a little.   
  
“Move,” Itachi insisted. “I want your tight lips moving over me.”  
  
Itachi regretted saying that because when Naruto obeyed, he pulled his lips tightly down his shaft, sucking as he went. First, it was natural suction of not letting in any air as he pulled his mouth off Itachi’s cock, but once he could move his tongue to add a little mechanical suction, it was mind-blowing. Itachi cam long before he actually wanted to.   
  
“Fuck,” Itachi breathed. “How did a virgin like you learn how to do that?”  
  
“I don’t know.”   
  
“Even though you’re the first one to ever give me a blowjob, I can’t believe there’s anyone who could give a better one than you.”  
  
Naruto smiled. He climbed back up Itachi’s weak body. “Itachi, I want to make love to you.”  
  
Itachi couldn’t react, still basking in the afterglow, except to speak. “I’m sorry, I’m just not ready for it again.”  
  
“Did he hurt you?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Did Kisame hurt you?”  
  
Itachi went deathly still. He felt blood rush from his brain and skin, his lips became papery and cold. “Kisame?”  
  
“He was your lover before, right?”  
  
“How do you know that?”  
  
“Your shoulder.”  
  
Itachi grabbed at the scar. The blood that had retreated tried to rush to his cheeks. “You knew?”  
  
“I ‘thought’. He’s the one, isn’t he? Did he comb your hair?”  
  
Itachi was still staring at him like a startled deer, but the way Naruto asked that last question, in a way that suggested Kisame was no doubt a better boyfriend and someone who deserved Itachi’s love, broke Itachi’s heart for more than one reason. He felt bad for Naruto who thought he was competing with a dead man and because Kisame did comb his hair, with a reverence that always threatened to bring Itachi to tears when he thought about it.  
  
Itachi pulled Naruto down lay his head on his shoulder. “Naruto,” he sobbed. “I never loved Kisame.”  
  
Itachi was crying. Naruto couldn’t believe it. Strong, quiet, stoic Itachi was crying. Naruto didn’t know what to do. He didn’t understand why Itachi was crying. He just let Itachi cry for a while.   
  
“I didn’t love Kisame,” Itachi finally said much quieter. “Yes, he loved my hair. He never intentionally hurt me, but he is the reason I’m not comfortable. You’re not competing with him, I didn’t love him. He loved me and I was a hormonal and curious teenager. I didn’t love him. I love you.”  
  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”  
  
“I know.”   
  
Itachi gently pushed Naruto away. Naruto sat up, but was almost immediately pulled back down so he was facing Itachi.   
  
“I’ll be perfectly honest with you,” Itachi said. “I have been carrying a lot of guilt. Kisame loved me, but I didn’t. He died loving me. It bothers me. I should have loved him. He was good to me. I . . . I wasn’t accurate when I said I never loved him. I love him more now that he’s dead. I was fatalistic. I was . . . cruel in a way. He deserved more. Perhaps I shut my heart away. He’s dead. I regret that, but I love you.”  
  
Itachi ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair. “Honestly, it did hurt, every time. You’re the first to every give me oral because he didn’t trust himself with those teeth of his. I’ll let you. Just don’t think it’s your fault if I don’t seem to enjoy it, okay? I just don’t want to disappoint you.”  
  
“I don’t get it, but you’re okay with it?”  
  
“Yes. Let’s go to the bedroom. That’s the last thing I want my brother to walk in on.”  
  
Naruto heartily agreed.  
  
Itachi was very nearly blind, but he knew his way and was guided by touch to the drawer with the lube. Meanwhile, Naruto stripped. Itachi laid down and reached out to Naruto. He pulled Naruto down over him and then brought the hand he grabbed to his mouth and started sucking at two of his fingers, wetting them thoroughly and playing his tongue tantalizingly over the finger tips. He pulled the hand away and pressed the lube into his hand.   
  
Naruto opened the tube and coating his already wet fingers and sought out Itachi’s entrance.   
  
With long practice and plenty of experience, Itachi relaxed and both fingers easily worked their way inside.  
  
“Why did it hurt?” Naruto asked. “It didn’t hurt when you did it for me.”  
  
Itachi considered lying and saying that Kisame was brutal when they had sex—which could be true on occasion—or that his skin was rough like a shark’s or something like that, but it felt wrong to lie about Kisame. “Kisame was very large,” Itachi admitted. “I felt pleasure, but it always hurt.”  
  
“Then I probably won’t hurt you.”  
  
“Don’t sell yourself short. Go ahead.”  
  
Itachi couldn’t repress the apprehension he felt every time Kisame was about to penetrate him, but just as then, he was able to let his muscles relax.   
  
Naruto smeared lube on his cock and positioned himself against Itachi’s entrance. He pressed in and—much to Itachi’s embarrassment—slid right in. But being penetrated, whether it was a monster cock like Kisame’s or a respectable sized one like Naruto’s, he tightened around the invader.   
  
Naruto groaned with pleasure of having that hole grip him like that. His body wanted to move forward—did a millimeter—but he resisted.  
  
“Does it hurt?” he asked Itachi.  
  
“No.” Itachi sounded surprised. “Press all the way in, don’t stop.”  
  
Naruto kept himself from slamming inside like he wanted to, but he pressed his cock all the way in.  
  
Itachi was ashamed; he was loose like a well used whore. But he could feel Naruto. It wasn’t like he feared, he wasn’t ruined for all other men. But his cheeks still burned bright being a used, loose, easily penetrated fuck. But Naruto’s hot cock felt good. And it didn’t hurt.   
  
“Ummnnah,” Itachi moaned. “Fuck me.”  
  
Naruto’s hips knew what to do. Their restraint taken away, they pulled back and plunged in again. Itachi just groaned in a way Naruto recognized from his own throat. He didn’t even remember that he wanted to ‘make love’ to Itachi; instinct had taken over and it was a rut. Itachi wasn’t helping matters, moaning and lifting his hips and begging for it harder and faster.   
  
Naruto’s eye were shut, but he had to look. He forced his eyes open and saw Itachi with his hair disarrayed, his eyes tightly shut, his mouth gapping, and his arms thrown around his head, gripping the pillows and their cases like he was trying to pull them apart. He was gorgeous and unrestrained. He was at his most unguarded, his most wild. He’d managed to break through Itachi’s walls.   
  
Including his vocal filter.  
  
“Ahhh, yes, so good,” Itachi purred. “Fuck, right there! Fuck! Naruto! Ahh, fuck! Make me cum. Cum inside me. Cum right there! Cum against my prostate, splash it against that spot. I want to feel it.”  
  
Naruto had never heard—or even read, being the student of Jiraiya—anything like that before.   
  
Kyuubi decided to break in. _Rut that little Uchiha bitch. Fill him with your seed. Bite him!_  
  
Naruto ignored him.  
  
“Ahh, fuck me.” That wasn’t an order, just a curse as Itachi approached his orgasm. And then it ripped through him. Itachi’s throat tightened up and he couldn’t cry out. His body bowed and clinched. It was harder for Naruto to move within him, but it added friction and soon Itachi’s body started milking Naruto of his cum. Naruto was able to cry out and did, followed by Itachi’s name.   
  
Naruto didn’t even try to avoid collapsing on Itachi—he couldn’t even think about that. He barely avoided cracking his head against Itachi’s. Inside him, Kyuubi purred or growled happily—Naruto wasn’t sure which one, but the fox was happy.   
  
Naruto regained his breath and then felt the wetness between their bodies: Itachi’s cum. Naruto didn’t think, he was just compelled to move and lick up what still remained on Itachi’s stomach.  
  
Itachi grabbed Naruto’s hair before he finished cleaning his lover and pulled him into a sweet, languid kiss.   
  
“I love you,” Itachi said with their lips still touching. “Don’t ever again think you’re competing with Kisame. That. Was. Amazing.”  
  
Naruto smiled and nuzzled in on top of Itachi. He was heavy on Itachi’s smaller frame, but Itachi petted Naruto’s hair and let him lay there. Once Naruto was asleep, however, he eased the boy off him so he could breathe.  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi and Naruto may have taken things to the bedroom, but they had forgotten Itachi’s clothes.   
  
Sasuke came home with Kakashi following him like a puppy—a horny puppy, but a puppy nevertheless—and saw the clothes lying on the floor and the sofa. He narrowed his eyes and then he heard, “Fuck, right there! Fuck! Naruto! Ahh, fuck!”  
  
Sasuke turned toward Itachi’s door and took a determined step towards it, but Kakashi put a hand over his eyes and his other arm around his waist. He hauled Sasuke out of the house as Itachi’s voice rose again. “Cum right there!”  
  
“That motherfucking bastard,” Sasuke growled and tried to get free.   
  
“Sasuke, heel, heel,” Kakashi said as he got the younger Uchiha out the door.  
  
“I’m going to kill the bastard.” His voice was deadly low.   
  
Kakashi sighed and moved his hand from Sasuke’s eyes to his neck and used his chakra to short circuit Sasuke’s chakra network, knocking him out. Kakashi wasn’t put off by hearing Itachi scream with pleasure, so he took Sasuke back inside and to their room. Everything was quiet by that point.   
  
He put Sasuke to bed, but wasn’t horny anymore; Uchiha fury could kill any libido. He concluded that they really needed two houses.


	7. Surgery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to PhoenixInnocence for the beta!

When Naruto woke up, Itachi was snoring softly on his back. He hadn’t moved since he fell asleep. Naruto leaned on an elbow and stared at him. The idea of experiencing a night even similar to last night again and again in the years to come made Naruto smile.  
  
Normally, Naruto wouldn’t laze around in bed once he was awake, but he didn’t want to leave Itachi to wake up alone. Itachi was also such a calm presence, he just nuzzled down next to him and played with a lock of Itachi’s hair until he fell asleep again.  
  
In the next room, Sasuke groaned as he woke up. The effects of Kakashi’s little trick only lasted about ten minutes, but he was tired at the time anyway and just slept. His memory was groggy, he didn’t remember going to bed. As he searched his memory, he remembered hearing his brother’s voice.   
  
“That bastard,” he hissed and got out of bed.  
  
Kakashi had been dressing. He grabbed Sasuke and forced him back on the bed.  
  
“Stop it.”  
  
“But he—!” Sasuke started to yell.   
  
Kakashi put his hand over Sasuke’s mouth. “You will keep your voice down.” Kakashi hadn’t used such a hard tone with him since he came home and it got all Sasuke’s attention. Despite his imperious attitude, he did actually fear making Kakashi angry.   
  
“Number one: Naruto makes your brother happy. Number two: your brother is not a delicate virgin—despite how delicate he looks and his recent health. Number three: better than Kisame. Number four: Itachi could do a lot worse; Naruto is loyal and kind. Lastly: do you really want to harm your best friend?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Now think about your _elder_ brother: he’s being very tolerant of a thirty year old fucking his precious little brother. You need to show the wisdom and restraint of your brother. He’s chosen his lover, you have to live with that. If he wants to let Naruto fuck him: that is none of your business. Anyway, you love it, your brother clearly loves it; there is no reason to complain. You will tolerate their relationship until Itachi says otherwise.”  
  
“Hai,” Sasuke said, resigned. “But you knocked me out.”  
  
“That I’ll let you beat the shit out of me for, but you will leave Naruto alone.”  
  
“Understood.”  
  
“I’ll go start the tea. Behave.”  
  
“I will.”  
  
Kakashi eyed him skeptically, but he nodded and left the room. He knocked on Itachi’s door.  
  
“Yeah,” Itachi called.  
  
Kakashi peeked in. Itachi was sitting up, bare-chested, the sheet pulled over his no-doubt-bare hips. “I need to talk to you two quickly.”  
  
“Come in.”  
  
Kakashi shut the door behind him. “Where’s Naruto?”  
  
“In the bathroom.”  
  
“Is _he_ at all dressed?”  
  
“Boxers.”  
  
“Thank the deities,” Kakashi sighed.  
  
Naruto came out—in boxers. He blushed at having someone else in the room where he and Itachi had had sex.  
  
“Keep that, you’ll need it,” Kakashi said referring to the blush. “I have two pieces of advice for you, Naruto. One: walk on eggshells around Sasuke for the next . . . twenty years or so.”  
  
Itachi paled. “He heard us.”  
  
“We both did. I had to knock him out to keep him from committing murder. I’ve had a talk with him and I think Naruto might have a chance of surviving. My second piece of advice: avoid eye contact for a while.”  
  
Naruto was frozen with the blush.  
  
“How much did you hear?” Itachi asked.  
  
“Enough to make Sasuke want to rip out his best friend’s spleen. Surgery’s in two days, by the way. No sex during recovery. I’ll take Sasuke to my place at night to avoid any further unpleasantries.”  
  
Kakashi slipped out and went to start boiling the water. Sasuke was the first to join him. He was dressed and grumpy looking. He started making breakfast.   
  
Kakashi sat down as Sasuke worked, trying to be quiet and act as if he wasn’t there. He pulled out his book and started reading. Sasuke threw a spoon at the wall above the counter and just fumed for a minute. Kakashi was too frightened to say anything.  
  
“Kakashi, I can’t see. I need help.” His voice was even since he had a moment to cool off. Kakashi was a perfect assistant, not wanting to provoke Sasuke’s frustration again.   
  
Then Itachi arrived with Naruto hiding behind him. Sasuke ignored them as he cooked. Kakashi put the dishes on the table when they were done.  
  
“We don’t have any poison herbs in the house,” Kakashi assured Naruto giving him a random plate.   
  
Sasuke finally turned toward them, sitting down and scowling at Naruto.   
  
Then Itachi did a very animalistic thing. He leaned in front of Naruto, shielding him and glaring at his brother like a rival or a predator. Sasuke leaned back and looked away. Itachi returned to his seat and Kakashi released the breath he was holding. Two Uchiha facing off in any capacity was frightening.   
  
“I really don’t want to come between the two of you,” Naruto said. Sasuke looked at him with wide eyes that could mean anything. “But I don’t intend to leave Itachi.”  
  
Itachi looked at Naruto with soft eyes. Sasuke appeared annoyed, but he didn’t look like he wanted to murder anyone anymore.   
  
“Shut up and eat, dobe.”  
  
The tension in the room eased.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke still wasn’t talking to Naruto, but he wasn’t actively angry anymore. Naruto and Kakashi came with the brothers to the hospital where Tsunade would perform the surgery.   
  
Both Uchiha changed into hospital gowns and now waited to be taken to the surgery suite. Naruto and Kakashi stayed with them. Sasuke was nervous.   
  
“Naruto,” Sasuke said. “I guess if there was any man in the world I would entrust my brother to, it would be you. I trust you and I know you value your friends. But if you do anything to hurt him, I’ll revisit it on you a hundred fold.”  
  
“I understand. Thanks, teme.”  
  
“Shut up, dobe.”  
  
Shizune came in with a pair of nurses and they were wheeled away. Itachi gave Naruto a fond smile before he was out the door. Actually, he gave it to Kakashi, but they both knew it was meant for Naruto.  
  
“They’ll be alright, right?” Naruto asked.  
  
“It’s not life threatening,” Kakashi said.  
  
“But what if something goes wrong? What if one or both of them go blind?”  
  
“Rin transplanted this eye in the middle of cave-in, with little light when we were all emotional. She was only thirteen and a chunin. Tsunade will not make a mistake.”  
  
“You’re right. Baa-chan’s awesome.”  
  
They waited. Kakashi had his book and was seemingly reading away while Naruto fidgeted and paced. In reality, Kakashi was staring at the pages and turning the pages at random intervals; he barely comprehended ten words in twenty pages. Even if their lives weren’t in danger, it was always nerve wracking to have a loved one in surgery. He wouldn’t be happy until Sasuke was brought back and Tsunade told him it was a success.   
  
Over an hour later, the brothers were returned to their room and their anxious lovers. Tsunade came in with them.  
  
“It went perfectly,” she said. “I had them put out—panicking patients are so irritating. They’ll sleep for another hour or so. We’ll keep their eyes wrapped for three days to ensure healing. I’ll be visiting every day to check on them.”  
  
“Thank you, Hokage-sama,” Kakashi said.  
  
“Thanks, baa-chan,” Naruto said.  
  
“You can take them home once they wake up. Don’t let them do anything that will raise their blood pressure. You were lucky back then, Kakashi, but I’m not taking any chances with these two.”  
  
“Hai.”  
  
“And no using chakra. They have to let their chakra networks heal after being severed and reattached. No chakra, no activity, just rest.”  
  
“Can you just sedate them for a week?”  
  
Tsunade gave Kakashi an annoyed look. “I don’t care if you have to tie them down, you will keep them calm.”  
  
“Yes, ma’am. Does that mean we get to carry them home?” he asked with a smile.  
  
“Maybe you should do that before they wake up.”  
  
\-----  
  
The brothers woke up in their own beds later that day. They’d moved Sasuke’s bed into Itachi’s room and all the rest of Itachi’s furniture to Sasuke’s room. The two lovers could still curl up next to them, but sex was forbidden.  
  
Sasuke was perfecting the angry Buddha pose while his brother was the opposite: serene.   
  
“No sex, no chakra, no exercise, no moving, can’t see, can’t do anything.” Sasuke was annoyed.  
  
“Relax, otouto,” Itachi said. “I thought you liked meditation.”  
  
“When it’s by choice.”  
  
“Choose to do it now.”  
  
Sasuke growled.   
  
“He really has gotten worse,” Kakashi said. “He’s gone from humming single syllables to just growling.”  
  
“I can’t even tell how many people are in the room!”  
  
“It’s called hearing, Sasuke,” Itachi said.  
  
“Itachi!”  
  
“Blood pressure, Sasuke,” Kakashi reminded him. “I told Tsunade we should just keep you unconscious.”  
  
“I should have seconded that suggestion,” Naruto said.  
  
“How many people are in here?” Sasuke demanded.  
  
“Just the four of us, otouto,” Itachi assured him.  
  
“How do you know?”   
  
“Kakashi slouches but stands stalk still, but I heard him come in. Naruto fidgets. Anyone else would have to be a cat. I smell ramen and dog. Beside our hospital smells, there’s nothing else. Anyone else would have to have made an effort to eliminate their smell. Even if we had a shinobi visitor, they would have been introduced. If they didn’t come in through the front door, Kakashi would have noticed them. You seem to be a shoddy shinobi, otouto.”  
  
“I’m under stress.”  
  
“Relax. Make us some tea. Decaffeinated.”  
  
“Fuck off, aniki.”  
  
“You could put him out again like you did the other day,” Itachi said to Kakashi.  
  
“Kakashi’s already gone to make tea,” Naruto said.  
  
Sasuke laughed.  
  
“Shut it, otouto.”  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke did learn to meditate under these conditions, to the point Itachi was jealous. He was calm by nature and had been going blind for a while, but even he got antsy.   
  
The worst thing was Itachi’s cat-like sense of hygiene. They couldn’t get the bandages wet so his hair and most of his face was off limits. The rest of his body was left to a shallow bath with a sponge. His hair was getting icky and his scalp was itching.   
  
Going to the bathroom sucked too. He couldn’t see to aim so he was pissing sitting down. Sasuke had a pervy, overly affectionate lover who aimed for him, but he was no less annoyed.   
  
Tsunade came over every day to check on them, always keeping the room dark when she took the bandages off. After several days of bitching from Sasuke, Tsunade finally removed the bandages.  
  
The younger, more impatient patient was first. His eyes were unveiled in dim candlelight.   
  
“How’s your vision?” Tsunade asked.   
  
“Good. Better than it’s been in weeks. Better than ever, I think.”  
  
It was Itachi’s turn. Naruto had been perched on Sasuke’s bed next to Kakashi, opposite Tsunade. Now, Naruto was right there, helping Tsunade remove the bandage. The first thing Itachi saw was Naruto, crisp and clear, so perfectly in the dim light that he could see the finest details of Naruto’s blue irises and even the texture of his hair. He teared up.  
  
“Itachi?” Tsunade asked, seeing the tears. “Can you see?”  
  
“Perfectly.”  
  
Tsunade had the good sense to move out of the way as Sasuke lunged for his brother to hug him tightly.  
  
“I still want you two to rest, but it looks like you’ll be fine,” Tsunade said. “No chakra, no training, no fighting. But everything else is okay.”  
  
“ _Everything_?” Kakashi asked.  
  
She was perfectly aware of the relationships in this house. “Yes, everything.”  
  
“Time to move the beds!” Kakashi announced.  
  
Sasuke threw a pillow at him.  
  
“I have to bathe.” Itachi tried to stand up, but his balance was off with his new eyes after so long in the dark. Naruto caught him and took him to the bathroom.  
  
“Well, that’s something I don’t want to think about,” Sasuke said. He stood up more cautiously than his brother. “Thank you, Hokage-sama. Now I’ve got to get away from those two. If they make a sound, I’ll puke. Or kill Naruto.”  
  
Naruto drew the bath while Itachi stripped. Itachi slipped into the warm water. He started washing his body. When he finished, Naruto gathered Itachi’s hair and draped it over his shoulder then took the soap and washcloth and started washing Itachi’s back.   
  
It felt so good, Itachi nearly collapsed. No one had done this for him since he was a child and his parents bathed him. He remembered he used to bathe his baby brother. He remembered holding Sasuke up with a hand on his chest as he scrubbed his back.   
  
Then Naruto started on his hair. That was even better. He scrubbed his scalp with his fingertips, messaging blood into his itchy scalp. Then he poured the conditioner on his hands and finger combed Itachi’s hair then used the comb. Itachi loved the attention.   
  
It was hypnotic for Naruto. Even after every tangle and trace of bandage adhesive was gone, Naruto continued. Itachi only moved when the water grew cold.   
  
“Thank you, Naruto.” He stood with Naruto’s help and rinsed off.   
  
Everyone was gone from the room but Itachi stopped and scoffed at the bed. The idea of returning to it was repellant; he’d spent far too much time in it recently.   
  
“Let’s just go for a walk,” Itachi said.   
  
“You will get dressed first, right?”  
  
Itachi’s playful side decided to come out at that. He turned and gave Naruto a sultry look. “Jealous?”  
  
Naruto’s eyes went wide. He had no idea how to answer that.  
  
Itachi was pleased with the affect he caused. He smiled and hugged Naruto. “Yeah, I’ll get dressed. Let’s get some real food. And I haven’t properly seen this village in years. Ramen?”  
  
“Tea and dessert afterward?”  
  
“And a walk around the village to digest?”  
  
“Sounds good. Are you going to get dressed now?”  
  
Itachi kissed him and then turned to find his clothes. The dressers were in Sasuke’s room for the present. They went out and Naruto delighted in the joy Itachi felt at being able to see again.  
  
That night, their beds were still in the same room. Itachi was tired and went right to sleep when they came home. Naruto curled up behind him. It was too cute to make Sasuke angry when he came home with Kakashi. The quickie after dinner at Kakashi’s place would have to do for the night.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke was moved back to his room and Itachi was moved to the far room which Yamato came and helped remodel, redoing the walls so that Itachi’s connecting bathroom connected to the other room. The in-between room was turned into a small gym.   
  
Itachi had more windows now that he could appreciate them and he invited Naruto to move in with him. Kakashi didn’t wait for an invitation; Sasuke found all Kakashi’s stuff in his room when they returned his bed. Luckily, Kakashi had few personal possessions, but they needed Kakashi’s dresser. Sasuke and Itachi also had few possessions, so there was plenty of room for Naruto’s things. The ramen poster was exiled to the back of the bathroom door.   
  
For the next month, it was domestic bliss as the Uchiha brothers fully recovered.   
  
Before things went sideways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though this is the final chapter of this story, it has a sequel. I decided to separate the two because the main plot and theme is different. This one was about the development of their relationships, the next is about a few trials.


End file.
